Comments and discussion

In this section of the study guide, we will give you some suggestions on things you might want to consider, discuss, or comment upon in Barack Obama’s statement on the shooting in Oregon.

First, you could comment on Obama’s choice of mentioning allied countries such as Great Britain and Australia:

We know that other countries, in response to one mass shooting, have been able to craft laws that almost eliminate mass shootings. Friends of ours, allies of ours -- Great Britain, Australia, countries like ours. So we know there are ways to prevent it. (ll. 75-79)

Note that Obama refers to some of America’s closest allies which also have English as their official language and additionally have very similar social structures to the US. By choosing countries that are similar to the US in other respects, Obama highlights this key area in which the US appears to be behind its allies.

Obama also states that the US is not the only country in the world dealing with mental illnesses:

But we are not the only country on Earth that has people with mental illnesses or want to do harm to other people. We are the only advanced country on Earth that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months. (ll. 34-39)

Through the statement above, Obama also hints that...