On Tuesday, January 5, President Obama made a passionate speech regarding recent shootings throughout the country, some of which include shootings at Newtown, Connecticut and Umpqua Community College in Oregon. During the speech, Obama mentioned the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School and revealed deeply personal emotions, stating, “Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad. And by the way, it happens on the streets of Chicago every day.” He paused numerous times to wipe away tears while referring to the young children and daily killings in Chicago. Following the speech, he formally introduced plans for stricter gun control laws.

The majority of his plans provide a simple guide for the federal government and other agencies. Obama has created these regulations to enforce and clarify pre-existing laws instead of expanding existing laws or creating new ones. Almost all of these plans rely on funding from Congress. Currently, most political analysts believe that the Republican-led Congress will reject the President’s propositions.

Andrea Lan ’18 explains her opinion of the President’s executive order, asserting, “In Obama’s speech he made a good point by questioning the fact that if we have fingerprint scanners on our phones, why can’t we have them on our guns? The long list of things he hopes will change in the future in order to regulate gun dealerships gives me hope and happiness as our government is trying to make changes. But it does not necessarily help me feel safe. His speech has truly opened my eyes to see that there is still a long way to go until gun violence will really be under control.” Clearly, many issues concerning gun control still exist, though Obama’s executive order may be a way to reassure the masses.

Obama’s effort to purposely create a political debate amongst people in the government has recently been proven to be successful; it has spurred debates not only in Congress but also amongst the presidential candidates. Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton emphasized her views through a tweet directly thanking President Obama for taking action on gun control. She also vowed to the state of New Hampshire that she would continue Obama’s fight if she were elected.

Unfortunately, in order to permanently create successful gun control laws, the government must take a great deal of collaborative steps.

Vivian Zhu ‘17 expresses her concern: “Obama’s breakdown did evoke many emotions, but citizens of our country need more than a poignant speech. We need Congress to help President Obama and the rest of the government to give us reassurance that there is an actual gun law going to be passed.”
Even after Obama’s speech, he continues to face political and legal conflicts. Gun rights groups began to accuse him of overstepping his authority and to criticize his actions. With Congress unwilling to act and the President helpless, many organizations have no option but to protest and turn to individual state governments for solutions.