“When are we going to do something” asked coach Steve Kerr at the press conference before game 4 of the Western conference finals. He was not referring to better defense from his team or equitable officiating, he was referring to the school shooting at Robb Elementary School in a small Texas town. Kerr said, ‘basketball does not matter.’ Kerr has been an advocate for gun control, he talks about H. R. 8, a bill that would tighten background check rules for firearm transfers among private parties. The bill passed the House in 2021 but it never got to the Senate floor. 

Kerr says, the reason the Senate won’t vote on it is to “hold onto power.” Kerr lost his father to a terrorist attack in Beirut in 1984. He said, “I am so tired of the, excuse, I am sorry, I am tired of the moments of silence. Enough!”  Kerr went on the challenge Mitch McConnell and all Senators who won’t do anything to take action. He asked them “are you going to put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of our children and our elderly and our churchgoers?  Enough is enough, demand from our leaders a comprehensive change in our regulation of guns. 

The New York Times today in its The Morning report review gun deaths. “In every country, people get into arguments, hold racist views or suffer from mental health issues. But in the U. S. It is easier for those people to pick up a gun and shoot someone. Analysing shootings in which more than four people were killed from 1998 to 2019 reveal that the United States has mourned at 101 events. In developed countries the next higher count was 8 in France, followed by 5 in Germany, 4 in Canada, 3 in Finland and multiple countries with one or two events. The article goes on to consider the reasons. Our citizens possess the most weapons of any country. “Stricter gun laws appear to help…. looser gun laws are linked with more gun deaths.”  The article offers some suggestions on action that may lower the threat; background checks, “red flag laws”, and assault weapon ban. In my view our second amendment rights should not take precedence over the common good and common sense. 

A well deserved standing ovation for Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand at her commencement address at Harvard. On gun control she highlighted her countries ability to unite and ban “military style semi automatic and assault rifles.” In her country, prompted by a mass shooting  she said “When we saw something like that happen, everyone said, ‘Never Again’. “ New Zealand is setting a great example of carrying the great American experiment in the “liberty and justice for all” premise forward.

Let’s listen to Coach Kerr and PM Ardern and put serious pressure on our legislative leaders to take action on gun control.

Memorial Day is a time to honor those who lost their lives defending our liberty. It is also a day of the ongoing unjustified war in the Ukraine. 

Mike