Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown didn’t want to talk about his team’s win over the Utah Jazz in the season opener. Instead the reigning coach of the year used his postgame press conference to address another mass shooting, this one in Maine, and appeal to our shared humanity to do something to stop these horrific incidents from happening.
“First thing, I’d like to say. I don’t know everything that’s going on,” Brown said. “I’m not that smart, but I know we as a country got to do something.”
We’ve Been Here Before
According to reports, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, just before 7 p.m. local time, a man now identified as Robert Card began shooting at Sparetime Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine. The attack continued at Schemengees Bar and Grille, also in Lewiston and four miles away from Sapretime. In total, 18 people were killed and another 13 were injured.
Police have issued warrants and a manhunt is underway for the U.S. Army Reservist.
Schools, doctor’s offices and grocery stores within a 50-mile radius of Lewiston have closed and people are staying behind locked doors. The suspect is armed and dangerous, according to police, and should not be approached.
Unfortunately incidents like this have become all too familiar in our country, and as much as Brown is right to appeal to our shared humanity, what will ultimately happen?
In 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was the site of a brutal mass shooting in which 28 people, including the shooter, were killed. If we as a society couldn’t pass common sense gun laws after little children were killed, when would we ever be able to?
This Will Continue As Long As Elected Officials Allow It to
“And it’s sad, and it’s sad that we sit here and watch this happen time after time after time after time and nobody does anything about it,” Brown continued. “And until we decide to do something about it, the powers that be, this is going to keep happening. And our kids aren’t going to be able to enjoy what the United States is about because we don’t know how to fix a problem that’s right in front of us. Sad. I feel for the families.”
We do know how to fix this problem. The issue is the powers that be have decided that gun control is something political, more fuel for the never-ending fire that is the American culture war.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, we’ve had 35,296 gun related deaths so far this year, and 566 mass shootings. The most of any developed nation by far. This is who we are as a society.
At this point all any reasonable, decent human can feel is sadness for the families affected and disdain for our elected officials and their collective failure to do what is right.
The Kings’ next game will be their home opener on Oct. 27 against the Golden State Warriors.
