Ahead of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night, the Golden State Warriors observed silence for the victims of Tuesday’s mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Unlike previous moments of silence, the announcer at the Chase Center concluded by providing resources for individuals seeking “appropriate gun laws in the United States.” Only one-third of the fans in the arena were in their seats at the time of the announcement, yet the cheers were loud.
On Wednesday, the Miami Heat ended in a moment of peace. The team’s announcer told fans, “The Heat urges you to contact your state senators by calling 202-224-3121 to send a message urging them to support their common sense gun laws.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, a longtime advocate of strong gun laws, has previously expressed frustration that moments of peace do not achieve much.
“I think a moment of silence is the right thing to do, but I’ll be honest, maybe this is the ninth or tenth moment I’ve experienced as a Warriors coach when we mourn the loss of those who died. In the mass shootings,” he said after the shooting in Sacramento in April. . “I don’t think anything is going to happen peacefully for a moment. Someday, sometime, your government will have to decide, ‘Are we going to have some smart gun laws?’ It will not solve everything, but it will save lives. “
After this week’s Texas shoot, he hit a similar tone.
“When are we going to do something?” Said the coach. “I am tired of waking up here and mourning the bereaved families; I am tired of excuses; I am tired of moments of peace. Enough.”
