Gun Control has become a hot topic of discussion throughout the United States. This topic has been a controversial subject for some time now and gains more attention each time there is a mass shooting of some sort. On January 5th, 2016, President Obama made an emotional speech at the White House and made his views very clear on the solution to the gun violence problems.

He begun his speech by stating the facts and stressing how over “thirty thousand people have died in the nation because of gun violence each year.” This powerful statement opened up the issues and emphasized the amount of pain and tragedy American families have faced because of these losses. Although there are Americans who believe that guns are essential for the safety, President Obama stressed that the only solution to making our country safe is to make it harder for the criminals to get ahold of the deadly weapons.

One of the most powerful moments of the speech was when President Obama said that he is willing to work with both Democrats and Republicans to sit down and come to a mutual decision about the future of our gun control policies. He stressed that Americans should come together and get over their differences, because this matter is URGENT. There needs to be something done before there is another life lost to gun violence.

Perhaps the most memorable event from the speech, the president actually shed tears and got choked up when talking about the 2012 attack on the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Many thought this act was impactful, because it showed how much the president is affected by the events. They believed it showed a sentimental side that could even furthermore express to the audience how we need change in gun policies.

Others believe that President Obama’s tears were staged and merely a speech strategy to attract attention to his cause. Critics also believe that this was more of a showing of weakness than strength.

Richard Yoo (11) thinks that “Obama’s emotional reaction was completely normal for any human being to express when put in the situation he was in. Overall, he maintained a professional complexion and finished the speech with no other interruptions.”

Clearly, there is still a great amount of controversy and varying opinions about President Obama’s emotional speech. We can only wait and see what changes will actual be made during the president’s last year in office.