On Sunday, October 11, 2015, President Barack Obama spoke to the CBS program 60 Minutes about a number of different topics. The most notable talking points in the conversation included the crisis in Syria and the recent mass shootings in the United States.
In regards to Syria, Obama commented that “in a situation that is as volatile and with as many players as there are inside of Syria, there aren’t any silver bullets.” But one of the main problems in the Syria situation is Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped up military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been deemed unfit to run the country by the Syrian people.
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
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The two also spoke about gun violence in America. After last week’s shooting in Oregon, Obama said in a press conference that the country needs to do more to prevent these tragedies. When asked about his personal impact on the issue, Obama said, “We are running out of administrative actions that could really move the needle in reducing gun violence in this country.” He added that “it is not realistic to think that this Congress will pass any common sense gun safety legislation.”
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Obama at press conference after Oregon shooting
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However, the President made sure to remind listeners that the public has power to affect policy. He said, “The most important thing I can do right now is just to keep on lifting up the issue and saying, ‘It doesn’t have to be this way’, I genuinely believe that.”