Barack Obama's True Tears

(Baonghean) - On January 6, after an emotional speech to the American people, President Obama officially announced a proposal for new regulations to tighten gun control - an issue that he mentioned since his presidential campaign.

After many attempts that were quickly forgotten in Congress, this time it seems that both emotion and reason have urged him to use his constitutional presidential power to “bypass” Congress. Although it is very difficult, hopefully with his tough decision, the American people will not have to fear the terrible shootings that will come to them.

The reality of "wrestling" Mr. Obama

There are more than 55,000 licensed gun dealers in the US, ranging from small, privately owned stores to large chains. Photo: Getty Images.

According to 2015 statistics, there are more than 55,000 licensed gun dealers in the United States. This includes small, privately owned stores as well as large chains. There are also more than 8,000 licensed pawn shops that sell guns.

Federal law requires that people who buy guns from licensed dealers and pawn shops must undergo background checks. According to the US Department of Justice, there are nine groups of people who are prohibited from buying and selling guns and ammunition, including felons; fugitives; drug addicts or illegal drug users; mentally ill people; people who have been discharged from the armed forces; people who renounce their US citizenship; illegal immigrants and people involved in domestic violence.

In addition, the law prohibits licensed dealers from selling handguns to people under 21, and from selling rifles and shotguns to people under 18.

That’s the rule, but not all gun buyers go to gun shops. They can buy on the black market or from other owners. They can buy any gun, from handguns, rifles, or other types of guns, from unlicensed gun dealers.

This has led to a very dangerous situation where the mandatory background check of buyers as required by law is ignored. As a result, up to 40% of guns sold in the US are now unregulated.

In the United States, guns and ammunition are advertised online, but federal law requires that actual sales take place in licensed stores. Authorities periodically inspect these establishments. One study found that 1 in 30 people who shop online for guns have a criminal record.

Shootings that left at least four people dead or injured took place in the US in 2015. Photo: Shootingtracker.com.

Due to lax gun control, there are currently 310 million guns in circulation, making the United States one of the countries with the most gun-using citizens in the world. Guns are currently ranked 13th in the list of causes of death in the United States each year.

With such horrifying statistics, it is clear that it is not until after a number of recent shootings that people realize the need for gun control. According to statistics, on average, more than one person in the US is killed by guns every day.

The outgoing President's final effort

Although all the numbers point to lax gun control as the cause of the horrific mass shootings in the US over the years, with the number of deaths many times greater than the number of casualties from terrorist attacks, efforts to limit and control the sale of guns and ammunition on the market are always forgotten when presented to both houses of the US Congress.

After the local congressional elections, the opposition Republican Party won an overwhelming victory and completely controlled the Senate and the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, the gun industry brings in $3.5 billion a year - a huge number whose interests are mainly held by the Republicans. So it is understandable that they are trying to block the current President's gun control bill.

And to justify this prevention, many high-ranking Republican politicians have "eloquently" made statements that roughly translate to: "The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun"; or "gun control means depriving people of their right to self-defense, which is against a democratic society"...

This kind of thinking, combined with the risk of becoming a victim of a shooting at any time, has made Americans turn to guns for protection. And when gun control is still "blocked" by both houses, the increasing demand is the cause of the current excessive use of guns among Americans.

President Obama wiped away tears as he recalled the 20 students at Sandy Hook Elementary School who died in the 2012 shooting. Photo: Internet.

On January 6, one detail that perhaps made anyone who watched President Obama announce his proposal for new gun control regulations think about was that he shed tears when mentioning the 20 elementary school students who died in the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

“I go crazy every time I think about those kids,” he said, wiping away tears and continuing, “Violence happens every day on the streets of Chicago.”

His tears must have deeply affected the thoughts and feelings of many Americans. Even the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump - a person who follows the number 1 conservative hawk - commented that "Those tears are real". However, this billionaire did not forget to state his opposing point of view "what is wrong with him is the measures, not the emotions" and criticized Mr. Obama's plan as a step in the roadmap to not allowing gun sales.

Many other Republican figures such as Senator Ted Cruz and Chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee John McCain have also criticized President Obama's proposal and said that this is an abuse of power.

After much delay, President Obama has decided to use his executive power to officially announce a proposal for new regulations to tighten gun control. Although it may be able to pass the US Congress, implementing this regulation will not be simple because the interest groups in Congress will certainly not be able to ignore the "gold mine" they own.

And even if gun control is implemented, will America actually limit mass shootings? This is a question that remains unanswered in the near future, especially in the context of President Barack Obama's term ending in just over a year, who will take over and no matter how much he wants to control the gun trade, it will not be easy to do.

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