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During his 2008 campaign, Barack Obama supported the reinstatement of a federal law banning assault weapons; however, he has largely avoided the issue of gun control during his first term. The White House said this previous weekend that he supports the reinstatement of this law. Presidential spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that "It does remain a commitment of his" to support/enact legislation banning assault rifles. Although the president didn't directly address the issue in his televised statement about the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, he did say that something had to be done: "We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics." The Newtown police reported that they recovered three different guns from the crime scene: a semiautomatic .223-caliber rifle made by Bushmaster, a Glock and a Sig Sauer (both handguns). There are many politicians who are seeking a strong federal response from President Obama, including Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York: ""We cannot simply accept this as a routine product of modern American life. If now is not the time to have a serious discussion about gun control and the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our society, I don't know when is." In 1994, Congress approved a ban on assault weapons; however, the prohibition, which expired in 2004, did not eliminate them but rather restricted many of their features and attachments. Some of these restrictions included limiting magazine capacity to 10 rounds and regulating pistol grips, bayonet attachments, as well as flash suppressors. For many years, surveys have indicated that gun rights generally are divided among the American people; however, after the tragic Colorado massacre this year in Aurora, Colorado, surveys indicated that 76% of those surveyed believed "there should be some restrictions on owing guns." In my opinion, I believe that the right to own guns should continued to be protected by the 2nd Amendment, and I do support the often hackneyed statement that "Guns don't kill people, people kill people;" however, I do agree with the president and others who say that there should be a ban on assault weapons. I don't see any reason why an average American would need a weapon capable of doing the damage that these weapons can do. Although a pistol is still capable of killing many people, it has nowhere near the capability of absolutely annihilating people and causing such an enormous amount of carnage as an assault rifle does. 
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/politics/obama-assault-weapons/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3



 
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    On Monday, the United States Defense Department identified the United States Navy Seal who was killed during a successful raid that freed a hostage doctor in Afghanistan. Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque died Saturday morning as a result of his effort to save and free Dr. Dilip Joseph, who, according to NATO commaders, was believed to be in impending danger from his captors in the midst of when the raid took place. A U.S. official has been quoted as saying that Checque was a member of the Navy's Special Warfare Development Group, more commonly known as Navy Seal Team Six. Navy Seal Team Six, as many may remember, is the same unit that was responsible for the raid that killed Al Qaeda head Osama Bin Laden. Armed men, who were believed to be smugglers, kidnapped the doctor and two other staff members of the international aid group Morning Star on Wednesday. The doctor and the two staff members were returning from a rural medical clinic in the eastern Kabul province when they were attacked and abducted. According to the Morning Star, hostage negotiations began "almost immediately" with the abductors and continued on and off into Saturday night, when two of the three captives were released. Tribal leader Malik Samad and district chief Muhammad Haqbeen said that the Afghan doctor's family paid $12,000 to the smugglers (the International Security Assistant Force believed these men were Taliban insurgents, not smugglers). However, the Morning Star denied paying any "ransom, money or other consideration" to win the release of its employees. The raid to free Dr. Dilip Joseph didn't occur until 11 hours after the two staffers were freed. President Obama and the Morning Star both extended their condolences to the slain Nicolas D. Checque's family. Despite these attacks and abductions, the Morning Star "reiterated its commitment to continue its work" in Afghanistan.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/10/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-rescue/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

 
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    Today, Monday December 3rd, Russia and China both urged North Korea not to go ahead with their second planned rocket launch of 2012. Russia is opposed to its launch due to the fact that they believe it would violate restrictions imposed by the U.N. Security Council.  North Korea's state news agency on Saturday announced that they would launch another space satellite sometime between December 10 and December 22.  North Korea, who previously launched a failed rocket attempt this past April, said that this rocket would travel in a very similar path. Due to the earlier missile and other nuclear-related tests they have conducted in the past, the U.N. has imposed legislature banning North Korea from attempting any more rocket launches. Many people believe that North Korea is testing their long range missile technology in an attempt at developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Although Russia vehemently opposed North Korea''s planned rocket launch, China, on the other hand, was not so direct in its criticism; instead, China simply urged "all sides" not to do anything that could "worsen the problems." Many other countries have been trying to stop North Korea's arms program because they believe they are testing their technology to potentially build a missile capable of launching a nuclear warhead to the United States; however, there are many people who say that North Korea is nowhere near the technology needed to produce weapons that are capable of an attack on the United States or other countries.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/03/15635693-russia-china-press-n-korea-to-scuttle-planned-rocket-launch?lite
I personally think that these test launches by North Korea are getting old.  I think that they need to listen to Russia, and the rest of the world, and call off the launch, but as history shows, they just have to show their militaristic fortitude.   It doesn't surprise me in the least that North Korea is planning another test launch, especially after the debacle of the first one.  It also scares me because they really aren't very stable in the sense that they don't listen to other countries very often.  Politically, the rest of the world should deliver an ultimatum, if they already haven't, and be truly prepared to act upon it to hold North Korea accountable.  As far as their intent on testing the long range missile technology to figure out if they can deliver a nuclear warhead goes, I think it has been pretty clear for several years what they intend to do, and it shouldn't matter how far along they are in development.  They get closer and closer each time someone says that they don't have the technology to produce weapons.  If China can build a functioning stealth fighter plane, then odds are that North Korea can eventually figure out how to build a missile.  
I like Russia's reaction.  They are stern and open about their thoughts on the situation. Also, China's reaction doesn't surprise me much.  They usually take a passive, sometimes neutral, approach when it comes to issues like this.  Overall, I agree with Russia's stance and the way that they are hard on their opinion, and that North Korea should not be allowed to launch.