Obama in gun law plea after Washington Navy Yard deaths.

The article can be found here.

   This article is about President Obama's speech at the memorial service for victims of the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. He talked about how we shouldn't let this continue to happen; there is nothing normal about these tragic events. We need to take the steps required to change our policies in regulating firearms.

   After the massacre at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut last December, the president sought to introduce expanded background checks for buyers of guns, and to re-introduce an expired ban on military-style assault weapons (article). These measures to better our regulation have been turned down by the Senate and cannot get the needed votes to pass. Yes, it is our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, but is this really applicable to our nation today? We need to do what's in the best interest for the safety of the American people and I think that regulation of firearms is necessary and not at all unreasonable. I agree with Obama's statement: "Change will come the only way it ever has come, and that's from the American people". We shouldn't continue to let this happen, we need to take the steps necessary to better ensure the safety of our entire nation from more gun violence.

As health costs rise, some companies blame Obamacare.

The article can be found here.

   This article is about how some businesses are blaming the healthcare reform for the cuts that hurt workers. It also shows the side of businesses who are taking this reform as an opportunity to benefit their employees. Healthcare is a private issue that has become public. Since business haven't always done their part in providing affordable health insurance to their employees, the government has had to step in and regulate it so that the people all have the opportunity to receive it.

    I agree with the ending feel of this article. We're going to have to spend some more money on healthcare but it's worth it. The health of their employees is a good thing to invest in. With companies like Starbucks offering health insurance access for employees who work just 20 hours a week. “This is going to be a differentiator for us in our recruitment process,” said Scott Thomson, vice president of total rewards and HR technology. “We’ll be able to access a higher quality of candidate and hang onto them longer.” All in all, I think that companies shouldn't cut health benefits because they would need to be spending a bit more money, I think that they should see it as an opportunity to "invest" in good employees who want to work for the long haul.