Warriors coach Steve Kerr was filled with rage, sadness, and emotion while speaking on the horrific mass shooting at Robb elementary school where Texas senator Rolan Gutierrez confirmed 18 children and three adults were killed. During the warrior’s press conference before their playoff game, Kerr called out U.S. senator, Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.) by name, to take action on gun control.
“Since we left shootaround, 14 children were killed 400 miles from here, and a teacher. In the last 10 days, we’ve had elderly Black people killed in a supermarket in Buffalo, we’ve had Asian churchgoers killed in Southern California, now we have children murdered at school. I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I’m so tired,” Kerr said. “Excuse me. I’m sorry. I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough.
“There’s 50 senators right now who refuse to vote on HR8, which is a background check rule that the House passed a couple years ago. It’s been sitting there for two years. There’s a reason they won’t vote on it: to hold onto power. “I ask you, Mitch McConnell, all of you senators who refuse to do anything about the violence, school shootings, supermarket shootings, I ask you: Are you going to put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of our children and our elderly and our churchgoers? Because that’s what it looks like. That’s what we do every week.”
Since the Sandy Hook Elementary School (Connecticut) shooting in December 2012, there’ve been several instances of mass shootings where children were targeted and killed.
It’s become almost commonplace to hear of such things, but as Kerr pointed out, the gun control debate hasn’t gone anywhere.
“We can’t get numb to this,” Kerr said. “We can’t sit here and just read about it and go, well, let’s have a moment of silence. Go Dubs. C’mon, Mavs, let’s go. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go play a basketball game.
“Fifty senators in Washington are going to hold us hostage. Do you realize that 90 percent of Americans, regardless of political party, want background checks, universal background checks? Ninety percent of us.”