The massacre that took place on the Italian night in Texas has already traveled around the world and it is right that anyone thinks about the umpteenth crazy shooting in the United States. 19 innocent children and two teachers paid for it two days before the end of the school year. The shooting perpetrated by Salvador Ramos took place in Uvalde, the capital of the county of the same name.
Meanwhile, just under 800 kilometers, in the more famous Dallas, game 4 of the West Conference final was about to be played between the Mavericks, hosts, and the Golden State Warriors of San Francisco. The match, despite the usual and now “useless” minute of silence, was played and, for the record, he won Dallas, thus keeping himself alive in these playoffs, avoiding the 4-0 and actually lengthening the series. Series that can end in California with the Warriors who will play the second match point between the friendly walls of the Chase Center.
But let’s get back to us. We talked about “keeping alive” in sports, although perhaps this term in the United States can certainly be used for something beyond sport. It can be used to refer to a social and cultural problem that the country of “opportunities” cannot overcome. We rightly speak of staying alive in the case of some sick or elderly people, due to old age or pathologies, in the case of those who live in poverty, excluded from social life,
Even sadder is when 10-year-old children in a school have to “keep themselves alive”. Yes, that school that must give an education and above all transmit those values that should accompany children in their childhood, children during their adolescence. Those values that can and must form conscience, giving these young people a future. A future that can open the doors to a Life with a capital V for them.
Here, after the umpteenth massacre, we cannot be silent, we can no longer bear it; it is useless to show that you are sorry and to dedicate a minute of silence to the victims. Those deafening shots fired in Robb Elementary School make noise, too loud when compared to the silent respect paid to those who lose their lives.
Silence now smacks of hypocrisy. The NBA coach, Steve Kerr, former NBA champion with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and then with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, and later three-time NBA champion as head coach of the Golden State, knows something about it. As with Jordan, Steve Kerr’s father was also killed following a shooting. Malcolm Hooper Kerr, father of Steve, was a university professor specializing in the Middle East and, in particular, in the Arab world. American citizen born in Beirut, Lebanon; city where his son was also born. In 1984, he lost his life to several shots fired by two men. Even though Malcom played his role at the university, the relationship between school and weapons did not escape Steven Kerr who for a moment saw the story repeat itself in his eyes, in his mind.
Over the years, the sensitivity of the Golden State coach on facts of this kind has increased more and more and perhaps the vase overflowed after the tragic news from Uvalde. Before the game, coach Kerr looks very tired at the press conference where he didn’t want to mention basketball at all but wanted to express all his anger at what happened. “Nothing has happened with our team in the last six hours … since we know that 14 children and one teacher (in the end the toll rises to 19 children and 2 teachers, ndr) were killed 400 miles from here “- reiterates coach Kerr raising his tone and showing all his impatience -” In the last 10 days, we have had elderly blacks killed in a supermarket in Buffalo, Asian faithful killed in Southern California, now we have children killed in school ”.
The Warriors coach continues addressing the entire United States: “When are we going to do something? I am tired. I’m so tired that I get up from here and offer my condolences to the devastated families who are out there ”. And speaking of silence, Steve Kerr puts it this way: “I’m tired of moments of silence. Enough”. Strong words those of the coach of the Californians but which suggests how it is time to move, to make noise.
The former NBA champion does not stop there and points the finger at Congress urging it to speed up the rule that imposes checks on people on their criminal records in case they want to buy a weapon. This rule was approved by the House but after two years it is still there. “There are 50 senators,” coach Kerr continues, “right now who are refusing to vote on the background check rule that the House has passed… There is a reason they won’t vote for it: to keep power.”
Steve then turns directly to Senator Mitch McConnel: “I ask you, Mitch McConnel, all you senators who refuse to do anything about violence, shootings in schools, in supermarkets, I ask you: put your desire for power first. of the life of our children and our elderly? Because that’s how it looks. I am fed up. I’ve had enough”. The mind certainly returns to its past. The speech continues and the coach warns everyone: “We will play the game tonight, but I want every person here, every person who listens to this, think of his son or nephew, mother or father, sister, brother … We cannot become numb. . We can’t sit down to read the news and go ”.
“Let’s allow ourselves a minute of silence. Go Dubs. Let’s go, Mavs let’s go. This is what we will do ”- concludes Steve saying -“ Let’s go to a basketball game. Fifty senators in Washington will hold us hostage ”. Words that come from the soul, words that are difficult to comment on if not to accept those of Kerr. The United States is going through a very difficult socio-anthropological moment but the NBA, the American national basketball association, has never backed down. He did it in the George Floyd case and he does it now after the massacre caused by the crazy shooting that took place in the primary school of Uvalde; through the words of one of the most important and most successful characters and coaches: Coach Steve Kerr.
Other great protagonists of the star-striped basketball world have also expressed their closeness after the incident. Lebron James, in a tweet, used phrases similar to those uttered by Kerr earlier: “When is enough, enough man”, in short, when too much is too much. Another NBA player, who is playing the Conference finals but to the east with the Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum, described the situation with an expression often used in these cases in the US: “This is devastating”, or “this is devastating. “.
American sport, with the NBA above all, has begun to send out messages, even strong ones. It is sport that can help and that must be the first to give an example to the world and to the millions of children who follow it. This has not always been the case, but from this point of view, the US seems ready to do battle with arms in this area. The only hope is that those who govern the country and who have an undoubtedly more influential decision-making role will do so too.
