Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Slams Lawmakers After Texas Shooting: “When Are We Going to Do Something” [Video]

Iesha May 25, 2022 News Leave a comment

After the Uvalde, Texas school shooting Tuesday, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr issued a striking statement: “We can’t get numb to this.”

Kerr said “any basketball questions don’t matter” in his pregame news conference before Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Instead, he addressed lawmakers in a call for gun control.

“When are we going to do something?” Kerr yelled. “I’m tired. I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there — I’m sorry. I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough.”

Kerr, a vocal opponent of gun violence, also mentioned H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, which would enhance background checks for private firearm transfers.

The bill cleared the House of Representatives last year but has since been stuck in the Senate, with conservative Republicans, who must vote to overcome a filibuster, and Democratic West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin opposing it.

“There’s a reason why they won’t vote on it. To hold on to power,” Kerr said. “So I ask you, [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell, I ask all of you senators who refuse to do anything about the violence and school shootings and 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. It’s what we do every week.”

According to reports, Kerr’s father was shot and killed in 1984 during a terror attack in Beirut. Since then, Kerr has devoted much of his professional life utilizing his platform to advocate for gun regulation.

“I’m fed up,” he stated. “I’ve had enough. We’re going to play the game tonight, but I want every person here, every person listening to this — think about your own child or grandchild or mother or father, sister, brother — how would you feel if this happened to you today?”