Jack Dempsey/AP
- Steve Kerr called the gun crisis in the US "disgusting" and "a shame" after the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
- Kerr said the government has to treat it as a public health issue and put money and politics to the side.
- Kerr also compared gun control to car safety.
After a mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, left 26 people dead, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called for action from the government on gun control.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kerr, who has been vocal about politics since President Donald Trump's election, said the gun crisis in the US is "disgusting" and believes it shouldn't be a political issue.
Kerr said it's up to the government to take action and stop taking money from gun lobbies and the NRA.
"Our government has to lead the way, and they can't just cave into the NRA just because they want to make money," Kerr said (via The Athletic's Anthony Slater). "They have to put people's safety and health over the interest of the gun lobby and the gun industry.
"Doesn't seem like it would be that far of a stretch, but for whatever reason, we're paralyzed and unable to do anything to protect our citizens. It's disgusting and it's a shame."
Kerr said gun control should be looked at as a public safety issue, comparing it to car safety and decreases in car accidents over time.
"It's got to be a public safety issue, a public health issue. I read a great article today that talked about comparing this to the automobile industry. Apparently in the 1950s, about nine or 10 times more people died in auto wrecks than die right now. What changed over 70 years? Safety measures, right? Speed limits, auto regulations, seat belts, car seats, driver's license registration and making sure people deserve to drive. All these things are safety issues, and I think we somehow get our government [to] cut through all the crap and get right to the point- the point of fact, which is safety. Which means a lot of things we can do without taking away people's second amendment rights. Let's do the sensible thing."
Last September, Kerr talked to ESPN's Zach Lowe about social injustice and commented on gun culture, saying: "We have such a culture of gun violence. Everybody is afraid that somebody is gonna shoot them, and the police are right in the middle of that, and it creates this horrible possibility for disaster."