Steve Kerr’s statement took the words and the emotions right out of my mouth and heart.
14 (19) Children were killed
“14 children were killed 400 miles from here. And a teacher. And 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. And now we have children murdered at school.”
(At the time of the press conference, there were 14 children dead. It has risen to 22.)
50 GOP Senators
“There’s 50 senators right now who refuse to vote on H.R. 8, 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.”
“So I ask you, Mitch McConnell, ask all of you senators who refuse to do anything about the violence in 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?”
90% of Americans want universal background checks
“You realize that 90% of Americans, regardless of political party, want background checks, universal background checks. Ninety percent of us. We are being held hostage by 50 senators in Washington who refuse to even put it to a vote. Despite what we the American people want. They won’t vote on it because they want to hold on to their own power.”
Gun control policy support: 1) Universal background checks: 90% 2) Red flag laws: 86% 3) High capacity magazine ban: 60% 4) Gun license requirement: 74% 5) Mandatory waiting period: 83% 6) Assault weapon ban: 67% (imagine that) Pew Research, ABC, Quinnipiac, APM Research Lab, NPR
Condolences and moments of silence
“When are we going to do something? I’m tired. I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences, to the devastated families that are out there. I’m so tired of the excuse, but I’m sorry, I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough.”
1) Both the supermarket in Buffalo and the school in Uvalde had armed guards. 2) People with mental illness are more likely to be the victims of violent crime than the cause. 3) Research in 1993 showed that owning a gun makes you less safe at home. 4) Research on gun violence has been blocked since 1996. 5) Policy needs to be based on facts not opinions.
It’s Personal
“I want every person here every person listening to this to think about your own child or grandchild or mother or father, sister or brother — how would you feel if this happened to you today?”
(His father was a victim of gun violence. So was my brother in law.)
Do Something
“We can’t get numb to this. We can’t sit here and just read about it and go, ‘Well, let’s have a moment of silence. Yeah, go Dubs.’ You know? ‘Come on, Mavs, let’s go.'”
1) Speak out. Research shows that more people express their support for gun control in public when they find out how much support there is. 2) If someone tells you to "Stop being so political", tell them they wouldn't be calling it 'political' if it was their child. 3) Read the paper, not social media. 4) Get educated and get involved: https://giffords.org 5) Vote
