5951 Village Center Loop Rd,

San Diego, CA 92130

February 27, 2017

Senator Dianne Feinstein
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Mr. Peters,

My name is Sam Melcer, a high school senior attending Canyon Crest Academy. After doing a
research project on the Straw Purchase Act, I have become fascinated with what it entails and
how it protects the state of the nation. However; there are many flaws within this system that
need to be fixed in order for it to be truly effective. Therefore, it is imperative that a legislation be
passed in order to revise the current act in order to make it more potent against abusers.

The Straw Purchase Act has been of paramount importance to the acceptance of gun control in
the United States. That being said this is an act that can easily be bypassed due to a lack of
regulation in certain environments. For instance, as background checks are not required at gun
shows, many people that are not certified to own a firearm would be able to purchase one with
ease. As a consequence, many civilians are put at risk as this non-certified gun owner might
want to try out his new toy. However, this is just one problem that these flaws provide; straw
purchasing also leads to gun trafficking around the world which allows for firearms to get into
the hands of not just firearm abusers, but also potential enemies of the nation. With these
problems, the Straw Purchase Act creates too many problems for the security of the country.

In order to improve this situation, the first order of business would be to revise the Straw
Purchase Act in order to make it stronger in certain fields. This would be done by providing
background checks in private transactions as well as having mandatory luggage checks for
interstate and international travellers. By doing this, international gun violence would
significantly decrease and guns would not be able to get into the hands of people who do not
deserve them. Additionally, many gun activists would not feel that their rights are being impeded
upon as this law would not apply to safe gun users.

The primary reason that I am writing to you is because of your background and experience in
Congress. Your stance on gun control also leads me to believe that you would support this issue
and work to make this idea a reality.

Sincerely,

Samuel Melcer