Ava Olsen (courtesy washingtonpost.com)

“Schools are places where children learn and grow with their friends. Their halls should be free of fear. It is my goal as President to make sure that children in America grow up in safe environments, giving them the best opportunity to realize their full potential. I will continue to focus on protecting Americans and improving the safety of our Nation.” President Trump’s letter to Ava Olson, quoted in ‘Please keep kids safe from guns’: How Trump replied to a 7-year-old’s anguished letter [via denverpost.com]

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94 COMMENTS

    • Figure what out? Read her follow up letter to Trump. She had 7 ideas, 0 were gun control. One was basically flowery language for give us more people with guns to protect us.

      • I haven’t been able to find the full text of her letters or a screen shot of them. I’ve read some excerpts from both and seen a screen shot of the second, which displayed her fifth through seventh ideas. The news accounts have been incomplete.

        I did read how she states that kids need protection from guns and that a gun killed her friend. No mention of the killer. Curiously, another quote has her writing “I hate guns”, but in another article that is quoted as “I hate weapons.” Without seeing a screen shot of the full letters from a credible source, I’m not sure what she wrote.

        The apparent emphasis on guns, to the exclusion of evildoers, is disconcerting.

        • I can’t even open the linked article.

          It easier to believe that a thing killed innocent children than to believe that a person did it.

    • Surprisingly, despite his usual bluster, Trump can be quite the eloquent politician when necessary. How this will square with his promise of eliminating gun free zones, will likely not be known. With current events (Russia BS, NoKo drama, China, Immigration, Trade etc.), gun issues are perpetually stalled.

      • “Surprisingly, despite his usual bluster, Trump can be quite the eloquent politician when necessary.”

        Not from anything I have heard or seen. More than likely someone else just wrote that letter or heavily edited it.

        • You obviously aren’t watching or listening. It’s true that his twitter account is a train wreck, but his speech to the Saudi’s was outstanding.

        • Too busy to watch the State Of The Union address? Ji Seong Ho was especially inspiring.

          Granted, most politicians get a staffer to respond to their “fan mail”. Esoteric Inanity even received a reply from Mike Enzi’s office. Sadly it was not a personal response, but rather written by his myopic, albeit very svelt aide. She assured this one that all his concerns regarding the Uranium One deal and any potential connections to Mertvaya Ruka would be inspected, and further correspondence delivered via carrier pigeon for security reasons. Esoteric Inanity is still awaiting their findings, damn pigeons get lost or eaten too easily.

        • I did see the State of the Union Address, several of his interviews, etc. Unscripted the man is a train wreck.

          State of the Union Addresses and other major speeches are generally written up by professional speech writers using themes provided by presidents and their staff by the way, so they say little about how eloquent an individual president is.

    • He perhaps may want to think twice on that course of action,if he cares a whit about a second term.
      If he alienates the people of the gun he will have a approval rating in single digits.

      • I highly doubt he will do such a thing. For all the flak he gets from never trumpers for being “not a true 2A bonafide”, he’s hands down the most pro guns rights president in a century. He has a conceal carry permit. That may sound like small potatoes to some but, does Ted Cruz? Rand Paul? I’ve never heard that they do. That says, at least somewhere in his brain, he truly grasps the concept of the personal right to keep and bear arms. It’s not just a political talking point like even the most pro gun politicians.

        • You may be right, however, at the same time Trump’s CCW could be just another thing that he sees to brag about (seeing as how only the elites can get a CCW in NYC).

          Hopefully the Senate gets its head out of its ass and passes some pro gun bills the House has sent over. Then Trump can show his true colors (which I am hoping are authentic pro gun feelings).

    • I wouldn’t count on it. With the Dems poised to regain all of Congress this year, Trump is apt to go into deal making mode just for the pure joy of it, or more likely to aid his own re-election bid. Your gun rights don’t add up to a hill of beans to him.

  3. Love him or hate, unlike Obama or the anti gun leftists, he didn’t use that letter to go on a diatribe against guns. There is hope that he will not cave to the minority pressures of blaming the gun for the actions of madmen.

  4. just called 911 I was put on hold now the police are the way because I feel the guns in my safe might want to do me harm. Donald keep me safe from guns

    • Sounds pretty dangerous over at your house… I will gladly take those evil guns off your hands to help keep your family safe.

      • I am running out of room, need another safe to protect me from these multipling guns, help me Donald

        • With full tax credits for this stuff. (I actually believe using the tax code for anything other than revenue is a bad idea, but sometimes I can’t pass up a stupid joke).

    • And the playground, too? And the bus loading/unloading station, too? What do you do when a killer pulls the fire alarm and all the kids line up outside? What do you do about the millions of kids standing in huddles on neighborhood sidewalks, waiting for the bus?

      Hardening schools and arming teachers are fine ideas, but ultimately, they just push line outward and place vulnerable kids in danger someplace else.

      • Honestly? Harden those areas too. And to that point, their parents should harden themselves, and their homes.

  6. The little girl and her family needs to look to the civilized world and how countries like Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia have no shootings or violent crime whatsoever.

    Safety and the value of human life is a genuine right, Your antiqued “right” to kill does not trump the rights of people’s who should not fear everyday being possibly their last day on earth.

    I hope she does not grow up to lies, fake news and propaganda about how the civilized world is “dangerous” despite these countries especially Australia having increased personal freedoms, better healthcare, lack of homelessness, better multiculturalism, excellent economy and better quality of life.

    But according to the gun-reich supporters, These things described above are “fascist”.

    Countries like Australia, Europe, Japan and Canada are doing perfectly fine without NRA supporters or any gun-reich support going off their rocker.

    She’d be wasting her effort into taking to a russian puppet anyway.

    • ……You should maybe do a little research before making all those wildly inaccurate claims about all of those “civilized” countries you mentioned.

      • Almost as inaccurate as your belief that “more guns, less crime” which was thoroughly DEBUNKED many times.

        Funny how a formal penal colony which has evolved into one of the most advanced nations in the world has done a better job of eliminating mass killings and violent crime than this country has ever done.

        Your claims of Australia being a dangerous crime-infested country were debunked many times as well.

        https://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/ausguns.asp

        https://aic.gov.au/statistics/violent%20crime.html

        Provide better data, and not from the NRA.

        You cons really have to stop denying facts. Data are checkable. But just to show you how foolish you are, here is the exact same data and graph from the Australian government. Are you going to say they’re lying too?

        • I do so love it when you post links to your “research”. You never bother to actually read them.
          Following your link, and then clicking on “Trends in Violent Crime”, you can read the forward, right up top:

          “Homicide has decreased by nine percent since 1990 and armed robbery by one-third since 2001, but recorded assaults and sexual assaults have both increased steadily in the past 10 years by over 40 percent and 20 percent respectively. The rate of aggravated assault appears to have contributed to the marked rise in recorded assault, and for both assault and sexual assault the rate of increase was greater for children aged under 15 years, with increases almost double that of the older age group.”

          Now follow https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htius.pdf
          And you will see that, while according to your link Australia had a whopping 9% reduction in homicide, the US has a roughly 40% reduction during the same time period. And that’s with more guns than ever in the US, and widespread gun confiscation in Australia.

          Oh but wait, there’s more! While the US saw a decrease in all violent crimes and sexual assault, again, according to the link you provided, it INCREASED in Australia, with a doubling of the rapes against children.

          Why do you hate women? Why do you insist they be raped? Why would you want to increase the rape rate of children? What kind of a sicko are you?

      • Last week in Italy, they found a young woman dismembered in two suitcases. The suspect is an African illegal alien.

        In response, an Italian man on Saturday went on a drive-by spree shooting in the suspect’s ethnic neighborhood, shooting at least five

        Is that the sort of civility you hand in mind?

    • RFLAPATLP, FLAME DELETED. “No violent crime whatsoever” you must not read anything that has independent reporting. No one has a write to be safe. You may have an expectation of being safe but no guaranty of it. Look at Kane and Abel. People been hurting and killing since the creation of man.

      • “Independent reporting” is a term we’d like to call FAKE NEWS.

        You do not speak for me or the multitude of Americans that want strict laws and more freedoms.

        Only your NRA and gun-reich tyrants more guns in the hands of the public.

        Australia has proven time and time again than laws work.

        They’ve suffered no more mass killings whatsoever.

        As someone who has been to Australia many times, Your claims of it being a “violent” country are complete and utter bovine excrement.

        Your right people have been killing since the beginning of time.

        But then we evolved and released we could do better and became a civilized society over time.

        It’s people like you that hold onto the backwards thinking.

        Australia is a shining example that laws work. And they’re statistically more freer than this country.

        It’s just your bigoted cowardly klan-master robert farago is still drinking the kool-aid.

        • “your right people have been killing…”
          yes, yes they have. try not to get in their way.
          “…we evolved and released…”
          what, the kraken? i hope you are more fluent in your native tongue.

        • “You do not speak for me or the multitude of Americans that want strict laws and more freedoms.”

          Nor do you speak for me, nor the multitude of Americans who do not want an intrinsic contradiction to be their lives’ centerpieces.

        • “Australia has proven time and time again than laws work… They’ve suffered no more mass killings whatsoever.”

          Really? Then what are these?

          Childers Palace Backpackers Hostel fire 23 of June, 2000. Childers, Queensland, Arson attack by Robert Paul Long, which killed 15 international backpackers.

          Churchill Fire 7 of February, 2009 Churchill, Victoria, Arson attack by Brendan Sokaluk that killed 10 people, during the Black Saturday bushfires period.

          Lin family murders 18 of July, 2009 North Epping, New South Wales, Blunt instrument attack that killed 5 members of the Lin family.

          Quakers Hill nursing home fire 18 of November, 2011 Sydney, NSW, Arson attack by Roger Kingsley Dean, a nurse, which killed 11 people.

          Rozelle fire murders 4 of September, 2014 Rozelle, New South Wales, Arson attack by Adeel Khan which killed 3 and injured another 2.

          Cairns child killings 19 of December 2014 Cairns, Queensland , Stabbing attack. 8 children aged 18 months to 15 years killed. Thirty-seven-year-old woman also found injured. The woman, Raina Mersane Ina Thaiday, was later charged with the murder of the children, 7 of whom were hers, plus her niece.

          January 2017 Melbourne car attack 20 of January, 2017 Melbourne, Victoria, Vehicular attack. Dimitrious Gargasoulas drove a Holden Commodore into Bourke St Mall, resulting in the deaths of 6 people and injuring 30+ others.

          Source; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_massacres_in_Australia

          I though you said Australia hasn’t had a mass killing since passing gun control? You’ve been lying to me the hole time time haven’t you? How am I supposed to trust you if you lie to me. [walks away sobbing]

        • “It’s just your bigoted cowardly klan-master robert farago is still drinking the kool-aid.”

          Robert’s mom and dad are/where Jewish, and Robert has call himself Jewish. So I very much doubt that he has any connection to the KKK.

          You really should try a laxative.

    • That gun-reich supporters for you.

      All ad-homiens and no facts.

      I’m so sorry I cant dumb my facts and posts down for you.

      But I’ll try to speak in the simplest terms for you.

      People learn that bad piece of metal that goes bang makes innocent people go down, Therefore more people decided that the boom boom toys are more bad to all the good guys and do more bad and good, so people decided to restrict the boom boom and then things like freedoms and all the other rights increased.

      • No facts ? I used the link that you provided to show the dramatic increase of sexual assaults and rapes on children in Australia. Not only that, but the very link you provided shows that there has been a greater reduction in homicide in the United States than in Australia.
        So given the overwhelming evidence, from a source that you yourself provided, please explain to me why you are proposing conditions that lead to increase sexual assaults on women and children.

        • jwtaylor… I say we ignore him/her/it… He is looking for attention like a child who can’t think for himself, though he (or she or it) touts he (or she or it) is a freethinker… Odd since freethinkers take into account all angles of a subject’s perspective.

          Ignore him guys. He’ll(or her or it will) get bored when we think hes just invisible to us. Just like a child he’ll tucker out and put himself (or herself or itself) to sleep.

    • RealFreedomHatingAmericanTraitor,

      I hope she does not grow up to lies, fake news and propaganda about how the civilized world is “dangerous” despite these countries especially Australia having increased personal freedoms, better healthcare, lack of homelessness, better multiculturalism …

      Government telling churches what they can and cannot talk about (Canada as just one example) is NOT increased freedom. All of those countries telling me that I cannot use deadly force of any kind (including swords and clubs) to defend myself and my family from a vicious, evil violent attacker is NOT increased freedom. All of those countries having significantly lower cancer survival rates is NOT better healthcare. And as for multiculturalism: those nations are about as unicultural as you can get!

    • So you start off lying “no shootings or violent crime whatsoever”. There was a drive by shooting in Italy just a few days ago, and did you forget about the van that plowed through people in England? There are multiple other examples, but you are too stupid or don’t care. I could not read the rest of your comment because it must be full of dishonest “facts”.
      My advice to you, is to move to one of these great countries.

    • “…countries like Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia have no shootings or violent crime whatsoever”

      Ahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

      *gasps for air*

      AHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

      That’s the funniest line of bullshit I’ve read in a long time. Thanks for that, I needed a good laugh. As someone from Canada I submit to you that you sir, are abjectly WRONG.

    • You are so fake you make CNN look credible. Ok wait, CNN could never look credible. You, are fake news!

    • You are so right,America needs more people like you. There is no need for guns in America, the police have tasers now, and the military has other weapons besides pathetic gunz.Private ownership should be banned straight out.Everyday I go out thinking,”wow I might not be here tomorrow, someone may run me over with a truck or blow me up with a bomb, or even stab me” that’s why I think we should be like the civilized country’s and ban guns. It’s good to see you back, finally someone with some sense

      • The droll is thick with this one. Not that schiff-for-brains will understand you had your tongue firmly planted in your cheek. Well played.

    • Europe is not a country you self rightious imbecile. Why should anyone take your opinion seriously if you could not pass grade school geography?

      Even people who watch CNN or MSNBC religiously know that those places aren’t some kind of crime free paradise. No civilization on Earth can claim that.

      I find it funny how your side always ignores all the places that heavily restrict or ban private gun ownership which are also homicide ridden shitholes. The EU, UK, Australia, and Japan are exceptions, not the rule. Most countries have far more homicides per capita than the US, and strict gun control.

      • “Even people who watch CNN or MSNBC religiously know that those places aren’t some kind of crime free paradise. No civilization on Earth can claim that.”

        Sadly there are plenty of people who believe that. I was in Bulgaria and was talking with our translator about guns in America during dinner. He said people in Bulgaria didn’t need guns to protect themselves because there was no crime. After coming home I met an American who had worked and lived in Bulgaria for a while. While his job was honest, the people he worked for were involved in organized crime.
        …Some people really don’t want to pay any attention to the man behind the curtain.

  7. Quote:

    Safety and the value of human life is a genuine right, Your antiqued “right” to kill does not trump the rights of people’s who should not fear everyday being possibly their last day on earth.

    End Quote

    Actually our “right” does trump people’s fears. The law of the United States, the US Constitution, clearly states citizen’s rights and places limitations on government:
    “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

    However much you may wish and no matter what you say, “shall not be infringed” trumps it all.

    • Everyone has a fundamental right to safety because human life has intrinsic value. That’s why we have the right to keep and bear arms. So we can enforce our right to life. Also to enforce all the other rights we have because of our intrinsic human value. The value of human life is not a right; it is the source of all rights. Troll is an unintelligent and largely unintelligible promoter of rape and pedophilia, as Jw points out.

  8. ———————————
    August 23, 2017

    Dear Mr. President,

    My name is Ava Rose Olsen. I am seven years old. I am in second grade. Last year, I went to Townville Elementary School and I was in the first grade. I lived through the school shooting that happened. My little brother, Cameron, also lived through it. I heard and saw it all happen and I was very scared. My best friend, Jacob, was shot and died. That made me very sad. I loved him and was going to marry him one day I hate guns, One ruined my life and took my best friend. I don’t want that to ever happen again. Are you going to keep kids safe? How can you keep us safe? Please don’t let any more bad people get guns and hurt kids. My brother goes to school and I don’t want anything bad like that to happen to him again. Please keep kids safe from guns

    Thank you,
    Ava Rose Olsen
    ——————————-
    This was written by hand, letters difficult to read and words run together, completely appropriate from a seven year old child. However, the spelling and content make it sound as if it was carefully coached. It’s one thing to foolishly believe in the disarmament agenda. It’s another to teach it to children at this age. If the parents want to express opinion to the president, they can send a better written letter rather than using the child to get an emotional response from the public. Yes, we know that this experience was terrible and traumatizing to children. We don’t need a child’s letter to make the news in order to tell us this.

  9. What kind of depraved addled mind would shoot a kid? It takes a perticularly evil kind of narcissistic nihilism to kill innocence. I can’t imagine the rage against humanity, God, and nature to commit the ultimate affront to life. This evil philosophy needs to be fought tooth and nail with logic, reason, philosophy, religion, and yes arms; because there can be no virtue in allowing violence to befall yourself or others without resistance.

      • I had not heard about that incident, but I am attempting to make a study of human brutality against inocent people. Gulag Archipelago and The Rape of Nanking deal with the topic on a large scale.

  10. A shame that one can’t even point out content of the picture given (Unicorns and Ninja Turtles) while juxtaposing it with fantastical fallacies such as gun control talking points, without getting one’s comment deleted. It would seem that esoteric inanities are no longer appreciated here. A shame indeed.

    • Ah, Esoteric Inanity’s vaguely inane comment has returned, and faith is restored. This one now feels very special, in a plethora of ways. Much obliged.

  11. I’m happy my grandkids are homeschooled…yeah (I hope!) Trump is trolling as usual. If not he can kiss any chance of finishing his term goodbye…

  12. It is my goal as President to make sure that children in America American Children grow up in safe environments, giving them the best opportunity to realize their full potential. I will continue to focus on protecting Americans and improving the safety of our Nation.”

    Fixed it for him. Now, Build the wall and Deport Deport Deport. Also stimulate the economy by paying real Americans to round up illegals. If its good for Israel, its good for America.

  13. School shootings are tragic but thankfully extremely rare. Most instances touted as school shootings are generally nothing of the sort (peripheral gang activity or parking lot suicides for example). Most of the remaining ones seem to be the result of social ostracisation, bullying or the prevalence of kids being medicated nowadays.

    Donald Trump apparently didn’t promise to crack down on legal gun ownership (as far as I’m aware) but gave some sort of nebulous promise to keep Americans safe. Perhaps that could mean border security, returning DC to law & order, immigration overhaul, cops posted at schools, who knows?

    By the way, the letter posted by Patrick above does not look like the writing & sentence structure of a 7 year old (I have 7 & 9 year old daughters), it looks like an adult trying to write like a child. That’s my opinion and you know what they say about opinions!!!!

    • “That’s my opinion and you know what they say about opinions!!!!”

      Something to do with assholes……… Is it that they come around unsolicited and are often offensive?

  14. We can keep schools safe by enacting this simple thirty-two word law.

    “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Defense shall have full authority to use any and all resources at its disposal to keep the people of the United States safe.”

    This would enable the DoD to deploy United States Army infantry units to secure our schools.

    Thirty-two words.

    That is it.

    That is all we need.

    • Sounds like you want the Posse Comitatus law tossed, and the military to take over all policing in the U.S. As if the U.S. military isn’t busy enough in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and other spots around the world. But I’ve never thought that our military should be the world’s sheriff, either – the situation should go back to what it was like before Pearl Harbor – protect the Americas and let the rest of the world worry about itself. Back to your proposed law: Will empowerment of the U.S. military to carry out police functions in America eliminate the need for civilian police departments? Or will we be the most overpoliced society on earth?

    • President Trump gets a life term as Dear Leader, just round up Congress for a firing squad. While we at it all lawyers I’m good with that.
      It won’t end well for us going down this road, but thanks for a great idea.
      All dictatorship start with the thought of (it’s best for all the people).

    • So you are for ending our Republic and moving to a military based dictatorship then? You realize of course then the “government” will take your firearms and every other right away from you since the Army is there to protect you. So you are no different than a liberal who also is willing to destroy this country in order to in their view save it.

  15. @ RealAmerican Patriot Against………….I bought some more tin foil and would be happy to send you a hat just like mine, if you give me your address I will send it to you free . I’m with you, guns should be banned, not only in America but world wide. I talked to KimJong just now( via the tin hat) and he agrees with me on banning firearms worldwide

  16. Not for nothing but why does anyone on here even respond to any of the anti-gun trolls who come on here? All they’re here doing is trying to rile people up they’re not going to change your mind and you’re not going to change theirs. I mean just delete their posts they have no right to freedom of speech in a place like this it has nothing to do with the government. Unfortunately this is how I deal with people who are anti-gun in my day-to-day life now. I have no interest in debating them I don’t care about their opinions or their feelings or phony stats that can be manipulated by whoever is paying for the research. I just tell them that they’re wrong it’s just their opinion and I don’t want to listen to a goddamn thing they have to say. I’m done listening and compromising.
    They are now the enemy.

  17. I agree. My post up there took me some time to write, and I thought I had a valid point (and entered the whole text of the subject letter with accurate reproduction of spelling and punctuation). Then, some time during my composition, the subversive posted. Therefore, my post came after several dozen long interactions debating the merits of civilian disarmament, which still seem to comprise the majority of the comments.
    Alright, I’m done complaining. I apologize for my self-absorbed comment clutter. Brit In TX did respond, so maybe my previous comment is being viewed by some. Thanks.
    Edit: Whoops. That was supposed to be in response to Jay.

  18. Sorry couldn’t read all the responses. But I did read the Kid was bullied.
    I think we need to address this issue Strongly. Zero Tolerance. Cameras, Microphones, & Permanent Expulsions.
    We give out Participation trophies like candy yet cannot punish anyone till they commit an Act!
    BS. Every Morning announce that Bullying is Strictly Forbidden and will result is Permanent Expulsion.
    And Follow Through. There should be Barriers that Prevent any Vehicle from coming with-in 100 Feet of the Schools & Armed Guards Always on duty during early Morning Comings & Goings.
    I know this is extreme but We are too dam easy on Offenders.
    Teach Everyone there will be No Tolerance for Bad Apples.

    • Or do what I did. Stab a bully. Problem solved. Guy never even spoke to me again, let alone harassed me in any manner.

      • Yeah there kind of is. But really it is a Twisted with Modern day Liberalism it is like the reverse of Participation Trophies. Probably where “Dafe Space” came from.
        I am like most that Read these Post. Punch or Toughen Up!
        We never took a Gun to School & killed innocents, so this pisses me off and I want to Spit something out.

        Toughen Up Buttercups. There is no PC in the Real World. Least not in private.

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