In 2015, the United States experienced 372 mass shootings. This is more shootings than days in a year. The massacre of innocent lives due to gun violence has been prevalent in American society for many years. This recent surge in gun violence has not gone unnoticed by both supporters and opponents of the second Amendment. President Obama has addressed gun reform in the past, but on January 5th, he announced his new strategy to tackle gun violence. This long-awaited news may have a lasting impact on American Government and society.

President Obama utilized his executive powers as president to get his gun reform in action. Obama’s new reform requires the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to require any businesses that sell guns to obtain a federal license in addition to running background checks on their clients. However, Obama’s reform isn’t specifically aimed at the purchasing and selling of firearms; he has made a solemn effort to address mental health as well. His plan is advocating for a 500 million dollar investment in mental health facilities as well as requiring the Social Security Administration to include mental health information in the background check system.

Obama’s executive action on guns will not be in vain. These new laws will prevent criminals and unstable individuals from obtaining guns in a society dominated by violence. In order to curb a growing problem like mass shootings, gun control needs to be addressed by adjusting our laws. Opponents of Obama’s gun reform laws feel as though their rights are being infringed upon. However, Attorney General Loretta Lynch declared his laws “well within existing legal authorities,” giving Obama legal justification for his gun reform.

Whether you celebrate the right to owning a gun, or see fire arms as tools of destruction, it’s important to recognize the damage they have caused to our safety and society. For years, America has been plagued with shooting after shooting, and very little has been done to resolve this malady. Obama isn’t trying to take guns away from the American people; he is attempting to make America a safer place for all citizens.