Steve Kerr makes emotional plea to ‘do something’ after Texas school shooting
Steve Kerr got profoundly emotional with reporters on Tuesday in the wake of the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school.
Salvatore Ramos, an 18-year-old, is suspected of killing 18 children and three adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Ramos was killed by responding officers.
Speaking with reporters before the Warriors play the Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA’s Western Conference finals, Kerr pounded his hand on the table and demanded action to stop mass shootings.
“Now we have children murdered at school,” Kerr said. “When are we going to do something?!
“I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to devastated families that are out there. I’m tired of excuses, I’m tired of moments of silence. Enough! There’s 50 senators who refuse to vote on HR-8, which is a background check rule that the House past two years ago.”
Kerr continued, calling out Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell by name.
“There’s a reason they won’t vote on it — to hold on to power. So, I ask you, Mitch McConnell, I ask all of you senators who refuse to do anything about the violence and school shootings and supermarket shootings,” Kerr said. “I ask you, are you going to put your own desire for power ahead of our children, our elderly and our churchgoers? Because that’s what it looks like.
“I’m fed up. I’ve had enough. We’re going to play the game tonight. But I want every person here, every person listening to this, to think about your own child, grandchild, mother, father, sister, brother — how would you feel if this happened to you today? We can’t get numb to this! We can’t just sit here, read about it, have a moment of silence, and yell, ‘Go Dubs! Come on Mavs, let’s go!'”
Kerr said the NBA playoff game — where the Warriors will look to close out the series — will go on as scheduled, but lamented the inaction over gun violence and universal background checks.
“That’s what we’re gonna do,” he said. “We’re gonna go play a basketball game. Fifty senators in Washington are going to hold us hostage. You realize that 90 percent of Americans, regardless of political party, want universal background checks. Ninety percent of us!
“We are being held hostage by 50 senators in Washington who refuse to put it to a vote, regardless of what the American people want. They won’t vote on it because they want to hold onto their own power. It’s pathetic! I’ve had enough.”
