On Jan. 5, 2016, President Barack Obama revealed his new policies on gun control in response to the Oregon shooting in October.

Obama’s executive order (an order having the force of law issued by the president) will require more strict background checks on people trying to buy guns, as well as requiring a gun safety course and stricter enforcement laws at the state level.

Obama has been trying to pass stricter gun control laws ever since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, where 20 first graders and six staff members were shot and killed by Adam Lanza, a mentally ill individual who’s mother was an avid gun enthusiast.

“Everytime I think about those kids,” Obama said with tears in his eyes, “it gets me mad.”
This is not the first instance where Obama has tried to make changes to the laws on gun control

In 2013, Obama tried to pass a similar plan to the one that he ordered on Jan. 5. However, in this plan he asked for bans on military assault weapons and to limit magazines (clips that hold bullets) to 10 rounds (bullets) along with other requirements, like extra safety training.

But, this bill was not passed due to fierce backlash from the National Rifle Association (NRA), leading conservative Republicans and some Democrats to vote no, killing it in the senate.
This time, Obama came back with a bill similar to the one in 2013, however it has less focus on banning weapons and more on heavy background checks and extra safety training.

This proposed bill has also become a hot button topic for several 2016 presidential candidates. Hillary Clinton tweeted “Thank you, @POTUS (Barack Obama), for taking a crucial step forward on gun violence.”

Others, however, are not so happy. Ben Carson argued that Obama’s order will “regulate freedom” in a tweet he sent out soon after the resident announced it.

This topic has also reached New Trier, where many have concerns with the new laws.
“I really think people are overreacting to what has been going on,” said junior Trevor Visotsky, “people think that creating harsher background checks and more strict rules will stop gun violence. The harsh truth is that if someone wants to commit a crime with a gun, a background check isn’t going to stop them and a safety course isn’t going to make them realize guns are dangerous.”

Junior Brennan Sandor felt differently, saying “I think that this is a step in the right direction, gun control laws are pretty relaxed and I’m glad that people are taking gun safety seriously. It’s time for mass shootings to stop happening and I think these background checks will really make it difficult for those that try to commit these atrocities.”

This new gun control law is also in response to recent events, such as the Laquan McDonald shooting, where a police officer shot McDonald 16 times. In response to this, a threat was called on the University of Chicago. The caller, Jabari Dean, threatened he would “execute 16 white male students and or staff, which is the same number of times McDonald was killed.”

The rise in mass shootings and senseless violence has had a significant effect on the public, and the new law already has as well. The proposed policies will not please everyone, but will change how Americans purchase guns.