To the Editor:

Michelle, Rob and Jahana want to keep our children safe.

What would you say about a country that chooses not to protect its children? There are places in the world where children are being slaughtered and living in fear, including Sudan, Yemen, Gaza, Ukraine and of course, the United States. The other countries are experiencing war and famine. The United States doesn’t have a war; we could protect our children, but lobbyists and politicians have convinced people they’re not safe unless they have weapons of war in their own homes. And so there was another school shooting.

Do you know there are more civilian-owned firearms than citizens in the United States? Do you know that guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States?

Jahana Hayes, Rob Blanchard and Michelle Embree Ku know that’s unacceptable; that’s why they have my vote.

Do you know that 4.6 million children in the United States live in a home with an unlocked, loaded firearm?

Do you know that 75% of guns used in school shootings, and 80% of guns used in child firearm suicides, come from the home of the shooter or a relative? This was true in the Sandy Hook School shooting.

Jahana Hayes, Rob Blanchard and Michelle Embree Ku know that’s unacceptable; that’s why they have my vote. They support sensible gun-safety legislation; they know that universal background checks and safe storage of guns help keep families safe. They know it’s not OK to allow our children to die from preventable gun violence.

All of their opponents have voted against sensible gun safety legislation. It’s time to stop the carnage. Let’s get this done, and keep our children safe! Vote for Michelle Embree Ku, Rob Blanchard, and Jahana Hayes.

Ed Randall

Newtown