Barack Obama is in the process of passing new, more stringent gun laws, which he hopes will prevent (or at least limit) any further American mass shootings. In an article by the BBC, he states that it is no longer acceptable for Congress to present “constant excuses for inaction.” Obama’s speech was very emotional and he was surrounding by victims and families of past shootings; emphasising the problems of gun crime in the USA. Indeed, around 30,000 people are killed by firearms every year in the US, which is significantly higher than countries with more stringent laws. Such statistics demonstrate that more regulations are desperately needed.
The new laws Obama is proposing do not need approval from congress, and are merely a number of safety precautions in order to reduce the risk of unstable individuals being able to purchase a firearm. His new protocols include increased spending on US mental health care; more vigorous background checks for those wanting to buy a firearm, particularly if purchasing online; and employing 230 more FBI examiners in order to process background checks more quickly and thoroughly.
Although Obama’s measures are neither radical nor particularly prohibitive, he is still facing some serious opposition from Republicans who have stated that they will instantly reverse the law if they win in the upcoming US election.
