Never one to shy away from controversy, Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr called out lawmakers for inaction against gun control in the wake of two more mass shootings in the US.
Before his team’s 108-98 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Kerr sat in front of a screen with the 18 victim’s names from the Atlanta and Boulder shootings and discussed the importance of recognizing those killed.
“These are human beings. These are people who have been lost,” said Kerr “The thought of the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons who are grieving right now with the loss of the people behind me is just devastating, particularly in the wake of what is just a common occurrence in our country and an inability of our representatives in government of doing anything about it.”
Powerful stuff from Steve Kerr on the recent mass shootings pic.twitter.com/U1QsdYEdOj
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“When you see faces, when you see names, it personalizes it, and you put it together, and you think about how many people are suffering,” said Kerr.
The Warriors’ coach, whose father was assassinated in Lebanon in the 1980s, has long been a supporter of more gun control.
“My family had to deal with the loss of my dad and my mom’s husband, and we’ve had to deal with the aftermath ever since,” Kerr said.
The five-time champion hosted a town hall to generate support for “Vote For Our Lives,” and “March For Our Lives” started after the Marjorie Stoneman Doulas shooting In Florida in 2018.
Kerr pointed out how legislation to expand background checks on gun buyers might have stopped the Atlanta shooter who bought his weapon the same day he is charged with killing eight people.
“Again, 90 percent of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, support background checks,” said Kerr. “We can’t just sit here and accept that we’re gonna allow our fellow citizens to just mow each other down.”