‘Please Mr. President. This Is a Plea. A Hope. A Wish.’

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/03/opinion/las-vegas-trump-poem.html

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To the Editor:

This is a plea for change in light of the Las Vegas tragedy. A generation is growing up watching as horrific events become more frequent. These tragedies have taken too many people and affected so many more.

This poem for the president is from an 18-year-old American college freshman who doesn’t want to live in fear anymore.

Please Mr. President.this is a plea. a hope. a wishwe rise each morningAmericans in every citythe newspapers screamblack headlinesthousands of letters smashed togetherforming sentences of horrordeaths and injuriesnumbers. numbers.but these aren’t numbers.these are people.people we cannot replacepeople we never should have lostpeople with families, friends, jobsPlease Mr. President.we have so much ahead of usour flag of red, white, and blueour people embody this spiritwe are a land of wonderful opportunityinnovation, creativity, powerbut how can this continuewe cannot be our best living in fearfear that manifests itself in the unexpectedfear that turns to disbelief and regretPlease Mr. President.these tragic events are far too frequentsomething must be donethere’s hesitancy nowa foreboding sense of cautionwe don’t know what is comingi can remembera different timepeople didn’t worry about movie theatersmalls. big cities. school. concerts.that’s different now.but it doesn’t have to be.Please Mr. Presidentthere are little kids growing upprotected for now by innocenceeach proud to be Americanbut children are wise and wonderingthey ask questionsparents fumble for an answerthey shouldn’t have to taint young mindswith horrors such as thesePlease Mr. Presidentthis is a plea. a hope. a wish.something must be donethese aren’t numbersthese are people.

EMILY DATTILO, OXFORD, OHIO