If every student who plans to walk out of school for 17 minutes on March 14 would, instead, sit at their desks and write a letter to their congressional representatives, telling them exactly what they should do to stop gun violence in America, it would actually change things.

It is not enough to march and say, “Stop gun violence” or “Do something!” What is needed are clear directions to elected officials describing what can be done and how to do it. That is not a simple problem, and there is no one simple answer to it.

People need to think and then give direction to their elected representatives. After all, the people are the government. It is the people who direct and guide their representatives. Those representatives need ideas from the public.

Allidah Iles, Bethel