I love using stickers….everywhere! I put them on student tests, bills, letters, folders, and on the back headrests of my car to entertain my daughter. I bought a terrific Star Wars sticker book at Safeway, but noticed it was full of guns. So I wrote a letter…..

DK Publishing
345 Hudson St.
New York, NY 10014

Dear DK,

Thank you so much for publishing the Star Wars Force Awakens Ultimate Sticker Collection. Star Wars has been a part of my life and upbringing and I’m thrilled that the saga continues to inspire people. My 2-year-old daughter considers R2-D2 and Chewbacca her “friends.”

As I was using stickers from your book on letters, student papers, and Math tests, I noticed that many of the stickers contained characters with weapons, mostly guns. Sometimes the stickers are just guns. I avoided using these stickers and instead put many of them in my planner on a single page.

Since Americans are twenty times more likely to be murdered by a gun than by any other weapon and suicide is the leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds (who chose guns as their number one method), I urge you to create stickers that are less weapon-dominated. There are many other action poses of characters available than those of posing with a weapon.

Please consider changing the proportion of weapon-related stickers you print. Your new approach would create a less intimidating and more appealing product to younger kids, Moms and Dads, and teachers like me who are concerned about gun violence and the high exposure to gun-related media.

Sincerely,

David Peabody
University Preparatory Academy