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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr went viral Tuesday night (May 24) after delivering impassioned remarks following the massacre of 19 kids and two teachers at a South Texas elementary school. In his remarks, Kerr referenced a gun control bill that has failed to pass in the Senate. The NBA coach called out senators who are holding the legislation up.
"There are 50 senators, right now, who refuse to vote on H.R. 8, which is a background check rule that the House passed," Kerr said ahead of the Warriors' playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks. "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 ... I ask you, are you going to put down your desire for power ahead of the lives of our children and our elderly and our churchgoers?"
"When are we going to do something?" Kerr continued. "I'm so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to devastated families that are out there. ... I'm tired of the moments of silence. Enough!"
Right now in the United States of America, there is no federal law that requires unlicensed gun sellers operating online or at gun shows to conduct background checks before selling a weapon.
In March 2021, following the mass shootings across Atlanta that left eight people dead in three different locations, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8, which effectively closes the legal loophole of obtaining and owning a gun, and requires a background check for all gun sales.
Background checks have blocked the sale of an estimated four million guns "to people prohibited by law from having guns," Everytown for Gun Safety said.
Yet, H.R. 8 and another proposed gun safety measure have been held up in the Senate for the last year because the bills can't get the 10 Republican votes needed to break the filibuster. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has said the bill goes too far and wants to propose an NRA-backed bill that exempts background checks for the sale of guns between friends and family members.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is reportedly working to get the legislation moved to the chamber's calendar before the summer recess.
Reading about trauma can have an impact on your mental health. If you or someone you know need immediate mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. These additional resources are also available:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
The National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-6264
The Association of Black Psychologists 1-301-449-3082
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
For more mental health resources, click HERE.
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