Preview to President Obama's State of the Union address

Tonight President Obama will make his State of the Union address and there are various topics which I think he will touch on. 

Firstly he will talk about the US economy and how things have greatly improved in the last year or so but will probably state how there is a lot more to do and this is difficult without the help of Congress. 

Secondly he might talk about the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare and how after it's initial teething problems the act is greatly benefiting many Americans. 

Thirdly on the international front he might talk about Syria and how the America needs to bring world leaders together to end the current crisis. 

The topics I hope President Obama will discuss is firstly doing more to limit access to guns and I hope he worries less about the gun lobbyist. 

Secondly I hope he will talk about the NSA and hopefully he plans to ensure they do not abuse their power. 

Thirdly I hope on international he will talk about Afghanistan and how handing of power back to the Afghans is going. 

So there is a lot for President Obama to discuss and is approval rating is back up to 50% and this means that Americans are reasonably happy with his Presidency but he has a lot of work to do! 

USA and the availability of guns

As I stated in my previous blog, it is always difficult as a Brit to understand the need to be a gun owner. 

Yesterday, in New Jersey a gunman went on the rampage but thankfully caused no loss of life other than to himself.  

From a political viewpoint there is not much President Obama can do. 

As the powerful gun lobbyist NRA are not prepared to comprise on the availability of guns.

 So sadly the shootings or the threats of shooting will go on. 

USA and the gun culture

Another mass shooting took place in US this week and tragically twelve Americans  lost their lives. 

This shooting took in the capital of Washington DC in the Navy Yard by a man called Aaron Alexis. 

As someone who lives in the UK with very stringent gun laws. It is not easy to understand the fascination of wanting own a gun. 

Sadly the guns in the USA are now getting into the wrong hands. As to my knowledge there are little background checks done on purchasers of guns. 

Aaron Alexis had some mental health issues. It has been reported that a few days before committing this mass murder, he called police to the hotel he was staying at saying he could hear voices. 

As the inquiry is ongoing we do not as yet know what the police did with that information. We know that Aaron went to kill twelve people in cold blood.

I find it incomprehensible that a man with mental health issues can legally buy a gun. This was the case with Aaron Alexis he purchased his gun legally and the gun seller probably no idea abut his mental health issues.

From a political point of view there is not much President Obama can do. He did try to bring in some backgrounds checks but the powerful gun lobbying  group called the NRA made it impossible for this to happen.

So at this stage the mass killings will continue by unstable men who are able purchase guns. Unless the American public overcome the gun lobbyist and say enough is enough.