Steve Kerr suggests inaction on gun control is undemocratic

Head Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors communicates with his players during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on November 18, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Head Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors communicates with his players during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on November 18, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo credit Jason Miller/Getty Images

Warriors coach Steve Kerr continues to be an advocate for tighter gun control in the US.

Kerr's most recent pleas have come in the wake of deadly mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, that left 31 people dead, including 19 children.

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This week, with his team preparing for yet another NBA Finals, Kerr paused to renew his calls for lawmakers to act, and intimated that failure to do so was a breakdown of the democratic process.

"The vast majority of us -- Americans -- want sensible gun laws," Kerr told ESPN's Malika Andrews. "It's important to remember that because we're a democracy. If we truly are a democracy, then we're not being represented right now by the people in Washington. Because if so many of us want sensible gun laws, and they're not happening, you have to ask why. At some point, the will of the people has to win out. ... We have to put pressure on the people who are making these decisions, because they're not making decisions that the vast majority of us want -- regardless of political party, and that's the key.

"Somehow, murdering children in their classrooms has become a political issue. What are we doing? So let’s put pressure on the people that are making these decisions to act in our best interests."

Last week, Kerr was at the forefront of sports figures calling on legislators to address America's gun-violence epidemic.

The former player-turned-coach has long been outspoken on the subject. For him, it is personal. His father Malcolm, an academic specializing in Arab studies, was assassinated by gunmen in Lebanon in 1984.

According to Gallup polling, Kerr is correct in saying the majority of Americans want stricter gun laws, though probably not the "vast" majority. Polls conducted late last year and in January of this year showed about 52% of Americans were in favor, though that actually represented a decrease of about 5% from the preceding years.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Jason Miller/Getty Images