Thoughts and prayers are the worst things you can offer during times like this. The Bible says that faith without works is dead, which means that all those prayers are useless without legislation. And those thoughts? Well, just because people hope — or think — we can get back to the world we lived in before Columbine and Sandy Hook, it doesn’t mean we will without some sort of courage from Republicans.
But yet, on Tuesday, social media was full of “thoughts and prayers” tweets and posts from the usual suspects — the citizens and elected officials that could do something that would end these posts and tweets, but who always refuse. And because of it, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was rightfully pissed.
“’When are we going to do something!” he declared.
For the umpteenth time, Kerr used his platform to speak about one of this country’s ills. From racial issues to gun violence, he’s always front-and-center and fearless with his words when something easily preventable happens in a way that leaves so many of us wondering “how do we keep getting here?”
In case you haven’t been paying attention the last few years, or throughout the history of this country, things tend to change when white men get angry. Here’s a list of just a few monumental moments that have taken place due to white men being really pissed off at something or someone.
- The Boston Tea Party
- The Civil War
- Charlottesville
- January 6th
The “angry white man” is an essential part of America’s history, given that they’re the only ones that are allowed to be publicly passionate about things. Black men and women get villainized when they/we get mad, so we try our best not to be a stereotype. And people from other minority groups usually get told to be quiet or to “go back to where they came from” anytime they try to speak truth to power in an attempt to hold people accountable.
Well, except for that one time in Florida.
Remember The Bubble? Remember that day the Milwaukee Bucks flew solo and decided that their playoff game against the Orlando Magic could wait a day, given that Jacob Blake became the latest example of police brutality and gun violence when he was shot in the back seven times by cops?
The day was August 26, 2020. Basketball was put on hold, which led to the rest of the sports world taking a pause. It was proof that the postseason and pursuit of a championship aren’t as important as they may seem, given that these athletes are playing a kid’s game.
“When we take the court and represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin, we are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each other accountable. We hold ourselves to that standard, and in this moment, we are demanding the same from our lawmakers and law enforcement,” read part of the statement from the Bucks players.
Two days later, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver publicly supported the move in a letter in which he “wholeheartedly support(s) NBA and WNBA players and their commitment to shining a light on important issues of social justice.”
If it was cool in 2020, why didn’t it happen on Tuesday night?
That’s what’s so frustrating about this. Because if this is a league that’s supposedly going to take stands against social issues, then Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, one played in the same state and just 355 miles away, should have been postponed.
This is not a moment in which we should be arguing over what shooting was worse in the “Oppression Olympics,” but a time in which we should be realizing that both instances stemmed from gun violence, whether it be from a citizen or the police. There are too many guns in this country, as the Second Amendment needs to be viewed as a relic instead of a battle cry for people, and police departments that want to stock up on unnecessary artillery.
So for everyone that woke up pissed off this morning, remember that feeling the next time you enter a voting booth. Because if you don’t, you’ll just be relegated to tweeting “thoughts and prayers” while you watch a basketball game that should have been postponed.
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