The day 19 children and 2 teachers were murdered, we held a moment of silence at sporting events around the country, then we played the national anthem, and we went on with our lives.
Players, staff and fans stood for the moment of silence, grieving the lives lost, and then we (myself included) continued to stand, proudly proclaiming ourselves the land of the free and the home of the brave. We didn’t stop to reflect on whether we are actually free and brave after this horrific event, we just stood at attention.
When I was the same age as the children in Uvalde, my father taught me to stand for the pledge of allegiance when I believed my country was representing its people well or to protest and stay seated when it wasn’t. I don’t believe it is representing us well right now.
This particular time, an 18 year old walked into a store, bought multiple assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, walked into a school with an armed resource officer and its own police district and was able to murder children for nearly an hour. Parents begged and pleaded with police officers to do something, police officers who had weapons and who receive nearly 40% of the city’s funding, as their children were being murdered.
We elect our politicians to represent our interests. Immediately following this shooting, we were told we needed locked doors and armed teachers. We were given thoughts and prayers. We were told it could have been worse, and we just need love.
But we weren’t given bravery, and we aren’t free. The police on the scene put a mother in handcuffs as she begged them to go in and save her children. They blocked parents trying to organize to charge in to stop the shooter, including a father who learned his daughter was murdered while he argued with the cops. We aren’t free when politicians decide that the lobbyist and gun industries are more important than our children’s freedom to go to school without needing bulletproof backpacks and active shooter drills.
I’m often struck before our games by the lack of delivery of the promise of what our national anthem represents. We stand in honor of a country where we elect representatives to serve us, to thoughtfully consider and enact legislation that protects the interests of all the people in this country and to move this country forward towards the vision of the “shining city on the hill.” But instead, we thoughtlessly link our moment of silence and grief with the equally thoughtless display of celebration for a country that refuses to take up the concept of controlling the sale of weapons used nearly exclusively for the mass slaughter of human beings. We have our moment (over and over), and then we move on without demanding real change from the people we empower to make these changes. We stand, we bow our heads, and the people in power leave on recess, celebrating their own patriotism at every turn.
Every time I place my hand over my heart and remove my hat, I’m participating in a self congratulatory glorification of the ONLY country where these mass shootings take place. On Wednesday, I walked out onto the field, I listened to the announcement as we honored the victims in Uvalde. I bowed my head. I stood for the national anthem. Metallica riffed on City Connect guitars.
My brain said drop to a knee; my body didn’t listen. I wanted to walk back inside; instead I froze. I felt like a coward. I didn’t want to call attention to myself. I didn’t want to take away from the victims or their families. There was a baseball game, a rock band, the lights, the pageantry. I knew that thousands of people were using this game to escape the horrors of the world for just a little bit. I knew that thousands more wouldn’t understand the gesture and would take it as an offense to the military, to veterans, to themselves.
But I am not okay with the state of this country. I wish I hadn’t let my discomfort compromise my integrity. I wish that I could have demonstrated what I learned from my dad, that when you’re dissatisfied with your country, you let it be known through protest. The home of the brave should encourage this.
Thanks, Gabe, for articulating what so many of feel and think. Brave.
Lots of people want to say this is an American problem and a gun-specific problem. That fails to deal with the 2019 New Zealand gun attacks, 51 dead; 2020 Canada mass shooting event, 22 dead; Mass shooting in Plymouth, UK 2021; even things like the Norway bow and arrow mass killings last year.
On a per capita basis the rate of death from mass attacks across the EU combined in the past ten years is not so different from the US. The rate in UK+Canada+Aus+NZ over past five years is 2x the US per cap.
People fail to consider that gun laws aren’t perfect even if better and the best you can do is lower the death count – good, of course. But a person who gets indoctrinated or a frustrated incel who can’t get their hands on guns will still act out. Sometimes they will choose knife or bow and arrow (only 5 dead on that one) but sometimes they may choose arson (as has not been uncommon in Australia), or truck/vehicle rammings which can each be as deadly as shootings. If they start to choose bombings it will be far more deadly and a much worse outcome.
Sorry Peter, but I have to correct you on some of your observations. One month after the Christchurch mass shootings that killed 51 people in two mosques in New Zealand in March 2019, Prime Minister Jacinda Adern led the New Zealand Parliament to pass a law that bans most semiautomatic weapons and assault rifles, parts that convert guns into semiautomatic guns, and higher capacity magazines. That’s how you deal with mass shootings. Of course, there’s no NRA in New Zealand.
What about drunk drivers? Should be ban alcohol? That’s one way to deal with drunks. Doesn’t seem fair to punish responsible gun owner just like it doesn’t seem fair to punish responsible drinkers.
Whataboutism is just a deflection. The issue is a country flooded with weapons, not about drinking and driving. Please stay on point. Thank you, Mr. Kalpan. Thank you.
So what about drunk drivers? You have to get a license to drive. You have to show a basic level of competency and there are police officers all over the place ready to give you a fine if you abuse it (or not depending on how they feel). Why not require the same of people that want a gun? I see this driving comparison all the time, yet it always ignores that cars are much more heavily regulated than guns are.
Thanks Gabe. Very well said. It is okay to kneel. I support you. How many fans mill around and don’t even pay attention during the anthem. Or yell during our anthem. To the detractors, no one is saying to ban guns. Can we just try something new? Anything?
Of course it’s not about drunk driving! It’s about blaming the easy thing…guns! Responsible, law abiding gun owners do not commit these crimes! What is the root cause here? Violent video games, destruction of family and family values? The last time I checked, there are no wild packs of guns out on the streets hunting down innocent victims. There is a person behind the gun and it is never the responsible, law abiding gun owner! Quit taking the easy route and stop blaming guns!
We actually do have lots of laws in place to regulate alcohol. Good comparison. Glad to have you on the team to help get some common sense regulations in place.
Only liberals with a limited ability to use cognitive thinking can change the subject. Blame the politicians who refuse to open medical files to the folks doing background checks. In fact they avoid it completely. HIPPA protects those who do not have the capabilities of responsible gun ownership. The medical community fights this release everytime by lobbying behind the scenes. I am not a NRA member nor support all of their agenda. However one percent of bad gun owners do not justify taking away firearms. I own firearms because of government, not hunting. Open HIPPA up for. Clear background check and these mass murderers will be reduced. Increase jail time for other violent criminals and the number further decreases. Quit taking the rights away as that’s too simple and worthless option.
Pretty sure you can’t kill 19 kids in a matter of minutes from drinking alcohol unless you were to ram a school bus off the road or something which isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do. Context is everything
Dan, just look at the stats. When you compare Gun Ownership by state per capita against gun deaths by state per capita, all the arguments in the world go out the window. It breaks down simply to, More guns in your state, more gun deaths in your state. There’s virtually no outliers here. Montana ranks 1/3 (1st in ownership, 3rd in deaths). Alaska is 3/1. West Virginia 5/9, Alabama 8/2. On the other end is Massachussetts at 50/49, Hawaii at 47/50, New Jersey 49/45. Stop using talking points and look at the data for yourself. I’m an Army vet. I know how to handle a weapon and I also know that the best use of a weapon is to not have to use it and to not have it be around every time you’re upset, drunk or god-forbid, both. I don’t want to take away people’s RIGHT to own a gun. However, it’s gotten way out of whack. 100 years ago people owned guns, but they owned mainly rifles at shotguns. Handguns were rare and mainly used by police. Assault weapons were rather unheard of in a house. Today you run into arsenals generally owned by people who, after 1 minute of discussion, you find they own them primarily out of a sense of fear. Fear of all sorts of things. Their fear is causing the rest of us to live in a dangerous world. No thanks. In most states you have to be 21 to drink, and then you have to take a test (or tests) get insured and you can’t even rent a car until you’re 25. Why? Because MONEY. Insurance and renters know they lose money on kids under 25 that rent cars so they don’t. If gun manufacters could be sued for wrongful death SUDDENLY you’d see a TON of legislation putting limits on gun ownership and how to PROPERLY own a gun.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/gun-ownership-by-state
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/gun-deaths-per-capita-by-state
What is the responsible use of an AR-15?
Are you admitting to drinking and driving? Constitution doesn’t protect ar-15’s certain states allow for them but there is zero constitutional protection. Ever read the Constitution? I am not trying to be rude, it’s a serious question. Alot of second amendment screamers don’t have a clue what it is let alone it’s protections.
That’s such and pathetic response. There is zero reason for anyone in this country to have an assault rifle. And an 18 year old? If you can’t offer anything helpful, get out of the way.
Alcohol is regulated strictly in the USA, so your analogy not only falls short, it only illustrates the need to regulate gun ownership in the same way. There is a certain age you can’t drink, certain things you can’t do when drinking, and certain places you can’t drink alcohol. Asking that guns should apply to the same standards is all most people on this side of the issue want. Thank you for your stance Kap!
Responsible gun owners don’t need weapons of war.
As usual no matter how many times people say BACKGROUND CHECK enhancements people like you say BAN. Do you seriously not understand the difference? We, as in 90% of the country, want better BACKGROUND CHECKS. Figure the f*****g difference out before the next child gets murdered. Signed Proud Responsible Gun Owner.
Can you please explain to me why you think gun owners are being punished if gun laws and regulations? I’m begging you to give me the reason why so many CURRENT gun owners think this way. Please! I’m begging you! Explain it to me!
Indeed, what about drunk drivers? What about how stupidly easy it is to get a driver’s license? I agree! We need to ban most types of firearms AND we need a better way to vet people who don’t have the capacity to drive cars safely.
Just like some alcohol is banned, so should some weapons
How dense and stupid do you have to be to take “maybe we should ban weapons that only have 1 purpose- to kill as many people as possible” as “PRESIDENT BIDEN NEEDS TO BREAK INTO EVERY AMERICAN’S HOME AND STEAL EVERY SINGLE GUN THEY OWN!!!!!!”
Get a grip moron
And maybe try opening a book (hint: not the book “i love guns more than my children: america first!!”) for the first time in your life
Is it “punishing responsible gun owners” not to allow them to own machine guns?
Your NRA-funded whataboutisms are completely useless and do nothing to address the epidemic of gun violence in this country.
Please go ahead and write about drink drivers on your own blog. Whataboutism popping up again- it’s like whack a mole.
What about seatbelts? I was a responsible driver but what did the data show, deaths were high due to traffic accidents and lack of seat belts. Today its the law you wear a seatbelt. Am i being punished? It really isnt hard to understand!!!
Gun safety laws don’t punish responsible gun owners, they reward them.
If there were a drink that was actually 11 drinks and got you black out drunk…we’d ban that (and yes, we’ve banned that). Learn ti analogy…
Don’t you need extensive training in order to operate a vehicle? Don’t you need a license? Don’t you need to pass a written test to prove you know the laws? Don’t you need to pass a driving test to prove you know how to drive? Won’t your license get taken away from you if you drive drunk?
Nope
We should ban cars. Think how many lives we can save. Time time to start suing car manufacturers for.drunk drivers. Think of the lives we will save. If its just ONE life we save by Banning cars will be worth it. Trucks have to go too since they have a higher capacity fuel tank and can do more damage then just a car.
BAN CARS NOW AND SAVE LIVES
SUE CAR MANUFACTURERS FOR MAKING A DANGEROUS HIGH CAPACITY FOR CARNAGE VEHICLE
you are clueless my friend nobody is taking away your guns stop deflecting the real horror you wouldnt be talking like this if it was your child thank you steve kerr thank you gabe kapler just look at the money given to these heartless politicians by the NRA for their campaigns if you cant figure that out then you truly are CLUELESS
False equivalency. Buffalo, Uvalde, Nashville Waffle House, and Newtown shooters used AR-15s (and more but you should get where I am going). Gabe was specific to assault rifles. If all deaths from drinking and driving could be pinpointed to a specific brand or type of alcohol then yes, I would hope the politicians who serve us would stand up and realize that there was a problem with that particular brand of alcohol and ban it. How can you justify standing up for a gun after the death of 19 children and 2 teachers.
How are responsible gun owners being punished by enforcing some sensible regulations? There are many regulations to address driving safety, including seatbelts. How are restrictions on semi automatic weapons, smart guns, age requirements punishing gun owners?
The legal drinking age in Texas is 21. He bought those weapons days after his 18th birthday.
Salvador Ramos was a law abiding gun owner until he shot his grandmother in the head and then went and killed 19 people.
No one is punishing responsible gun owners by banning the sale of AR 15s to 18 year olds- there’s just no way to justify that
Nobody’s punishing responsible gun owners. If you’re responsible you welcome a background check and you don’t need a weapon designed to kill numerous people quickly.
Dan,
Why would any responsible gun owner need in their possession any kind of assault weapon?
And why should common-sense legislation requiring background checks be quashed by people “representing” their constituents?
Any why would any organization like the NRA hold its convention less than 300 miles from the site where 19 families lost there 9 and 10 year old children, cold- bloodedly murdered days earlier? Along with two of their teachers? Families forever changed.
All in the name of “liberty”?
Wake up Dan – Drinking age.
I agree with the driving, people say “You need to get a permit to drive, prove you can drive, to legally drive so its not the same”
This is false you HAVE to get a gun permit, pass a background and in most states PROVE you can use the weapon correctly if it’s your first.
So let’s talk about the car theory more, what if someone STEALS a car, and runs into a bunch of Protesters killing some hurting many others (This is something that happened last year during BLM)
What do we do now, well they put that MAN in jail for murder, they DIDN”T make a new Driving law and ban everyone from driving.
The PROBLEM are NOT gun laws, there are already 100’s of laws and regulations to even get a gun in America. The problem are the people, all this talk about this school shooting and MOST don’t even know who the shooter even is because Media is SO FOCUSED on GUNS GUNS GUNS, why not hold the man that walked in there and opened fired accountable…?
Why is accountability such a hard thing to grasp for the left? A man drives into someone and kills them that MAN is in jail, but if a man SHOOTS another man, it’s the gun’s fault?…..
Come on…
Drunk driver? Are you serious? What a lame comparison! 19 children were killed! If the guy had a knife at least the teacher could of stopped the guy.
How do we determine who are “responsible” gun owners then? Presumably you’d be in favor of a rigorous licensing scheme with extensive background checks prior to purchase and perhaps annual psychological evaluations to be allowed to retain your licensed weapon (since people can develop violent tendencies even after being deemed responsible)?
Good point. And we are all so divided. I want people to realize so many good things and decisions can happen in the middle. Another discussion is parental fail. Lots of that going around.
Responsible gun owners should be able to help purchase guns for hunting but not assault rifles or weapons used for war. There is no need for someone to own that type of weapon.
Of course it’s not about drunk drivers, we have laws that have reduced drunk driving and we continue to reduce deaths by everything from deglamorizing alcohol to forcing habitual drunk drivers to having interlock devices installed in their vehicles. We go so far as to hold drunk driving checkpoints and encouraging others to call 911 if they see someone they think is driving drunk.
What we don’t do is hold guns to nearly the same standards as cars. We don’t enforce licensure, we don’t force gun owners to renew their gun plate yearly to pay for the damage the guns do, we don’t force gun owners to install mental health interlocks after they have shown themselves to be willing to use guns to kill others.
You’re right, we don’t treat guns like cars, but you are off base to think we shouldn’t. We need to find a solution. The good news is we have many examples from other countries. Australians even have more guns now than they did before their mass shooting, but now you have to have a reason to have one which reduces the risk of attack.
Adding info is not “correct”ing. Did they ban the shotgun with which he first killed? No. Did they ban the single action long guns he brought along? No. Did they ban the four full modified petrol containers that he had in his car, which he presumably would have used if he had no access to guns? No.
My very point was that if he had no AR-15, fewer people may have died that day, but many people would have died. Unless because he had no AR-15 he instead used the petrol too effectively. Ban whatever you choose to limit death rates. Also seek to stop the killing more fully by focusing on the root causes that drive it.
US gun deaths are much greater than any other developed country. See this:
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-us-gun-violence-world-comparison/
The rate of gun deaths in the US is dominated by suicides and gang-related homicides. Mass attack deaths are 0.1% of the gun death number. I’m all for it if you want to discuss how to fix those numbers, but they have little to do with the rate or incidence of mass attacks.
BTW here’s an example of someone needing correction and what I was responding to: Kaplan: “I’m participating in a self congratulatory glorification of the ONLY country where these mass shootings take place”. Please feel free to correct him after you compare to the short list of events I provided from just a few countries in just the past three years.
You do, at least in California, need to take a firearm safety course and obtain a certificate of completion or a “license” before you can purchase a firearm…
They says there was 170K illegal guns in NZ, only 50K were turned in. Maybe because those New Zealanders didn’t want to become the next Australia, where they throw you in re-education camps for not wearing a mask outside your own house.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-shooting-guns/doubts-over-success-of-firearm-buybacks-in-new-zealand-as-amnesty-ends-idUSKBN1YO05B
Australian here – the vast majority of our population supported mask mandates, and, as a result, had perhaps 10% of the number of deaths (excess or otherwise) per capita compared to the “greatest country on earth” (which, to be fair, I’d argue with, being a proud, patriotic Australian). We actually just voted in a federal government that, in opposition, asked for stronger action on the pandemic. No one got thrown in any camps. They just got a $1000 fine if they kept ignoring the mandate in public around vulnerable people.
On top of this, we had ONE (horrible) mass shooting in Port Arthur in 1996. Mentally disturbed bloke. We outlawed semi/automatic weapons immediately after. You can have guns for sport shooting and on the land (farmers). We very rarely have any gun related violence (it’s mostly just 5-10 incidents a year, and it’s almost always hand guns in criminal vendetta bollocks). We have had ZERO mass shootings. Imagine that?
Really Jim, I live here. I am Australian. Camps, jeeez you are a fool. Ok mate the next time you see a bridge for sale as part of a news story what will you decide? How about you take off your boot and belt yourself in the forehead with it. That is about the only way things are going to make sense to you. Come here, walk the streets, you fool.
Steve you do know that semi automatic means you pull the trigger once and only one bullet comes out right? Also high capacity is term used by people who’s knowledge on firearms is lacking as those high capacity magazines are standard capacity. Going back to the semi automatic thing though you do know that most guns are semi automatic right? Most pistols, even hunting rifles and shotguns have semi automatic variants. As far as “assault rifles” those are EXTREMELY regulated in the US. By that I mean assault rifle as a firearm having select fire capabilities. That means semi automatic, burst fire, and/or automatic. You have to pay a fee just to complete papers then usually you’re waiting a year or longer to even hear back. Even after all that the weapon must be pre 1980s. Now as far as these deadly weapons most fun violence is from handguns, hell even blunt objects are used to kill more people each year than these “weapons of war.” One of the main things about guns is they’re used for protection. So say if someone, like the school resource Officer, would’ve have been at the school, like he should’ve been, they could’ve helped stop and or prevent this tragedy. Hell just locking the damn door so the shooter couldn’t have walked in unimpeded would’ve helped. Don’t forget though if someone would’ve simply reported him to the proper person for his comments months and years before this he would’ve been institutionalized and therefore unable to apss a background check. (You know the FBI database background check you must pass when buying a gun from a federally licensed dealer.) You can pass laws all you want but most criminals are criminals for a reason. They don’t follow the laws, like laws for “high capacity magazines”
An 18-year-old high-school drop-out with a job at Wendy’s and no license or training whatsoever, walked into a Texas gun shop and bought approximately $4000 worth of military-style weaponry. How? Can you tell us that? Surely he didn’t have that kind of money. Was it, perhaps, Daniel Defense’s “e-z credit” terms? At any rate, please don’t tell us how “hard” it is to buy this stuff.
There are no background checks required for gun purchases in Texas. There’s no requirement for training or obtaining a license in order to own a gun in Texas. It is easier to buy a gun in Texas than it is to legally drive in the state of Texas (insurance, training, license, registration).
Caitlyn, Federal law required an FBI background check each time you purchase a firearm for a licensed gun dealer, regardless what state you are in.
The problem is with illegally purchased guns, and guns purchased legally from a private seller, which requires no background check. The later is the “loop hole” in the system.
Very Good points. No laws can control Evil or anyone that wants to do harm. First off in the matter not one person can really know unless they were there exactly what happened. The first and biggest mistake an unlocked door to allow access. No matter how in convenient there should always only be one way in. I DO COMPLETELY AGREE THAT OUR POLITICIANS ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOBS AND ARE LETTING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DOWN. IT STARTS FROM THE TOP.
Brave argument to say laws don’t matter, so therefore we shouldn’t have any. The laws, for instance, banning assault rifles, would apply, presumably, to manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Of course there will be lots of assault rifles still out there, which in less insane countries, have at least been partially dealt with by buyback programs. But to argue that there are criminals who would buy assault rifles anyway ignores the fact that gun manufacturers would have to follow the law on an assault rifle ban, hence, there would be fewer of them.
Few complied with that ban in New Zealand. Why lie?
There are approximately 332 million people in the U.S.
These mass shootings are tragic, but they are also incredibly rare.
Don’t make more out of it than it is. Maintain perspective.
The right to self-defense is a natural right.
The right to self-defense is not a right that is awarded by the state, it is a natural right that is protected by the U.S. Constitution.
We don’t have the 2nd Amendment to protect ourselves from ducks and rabbits, we have them to warn an overbearing government to keep its distance.
You people learned nothing from the collectivist wars of the past century. First, they seized weapons, then, they slaughtered their own. Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot. You learned nothing.
They’ve actually learned a lot, seizing every opportunity to attempt to disarm the American people so they may finally put us in our place and we won’t get in the way of their thirst for world domination.
Wow, you guys are a bunch of nut logs! Nobody’s advocating for taking away your guns. We’d just like to see some strong, common sense laws and regulations regarding gun purchasing and ownership and yes, a ban on rapid fire assault weapons. There is no logical reason to own one of these! And while I’m at it, I would imagine that the majority of you pro gun no matter what people, are also pro life. You’ll do everything in your power to control a women’s choice to have a baby but, “oh my gosh, don’t even think about telling me I can’t have any gun I want!” And “we have to protect that unborn child’s life (without even the slightest consideration of helping a mother with childcare or help with rent when she can’t go to work) but we’re not going to protect the children that are already living!!!” Bunch of hypocritical whacks! It’s you people we have to worry about. You are the future Stalins, Hitlers, Maos and Pol Pots. Thank you Gabe Kapler, for saying it like it is. Our Republican representatives don’t give a crap about our children.
Mass shootings are incredibly rare until you find yourself in the middle of one. I suppose then it is a waste of time for schools to have active shooter drills and to “harden” themselves. Just go with the roll of the dice by your reasoning. BTW nice paranoia in your last paragraph. Sorry you live in such fear. If you are so afraid of Stalin, Hitler, etc., then stop supporting Trump, who is next on that list.
“There are incredibly few mass shootings in the United States”.
This year, there have been more mass shootings than days.
Sounds like you should move there
But you and bcrawford support the blm terrorists. Weird how you talk out both sides of your mouth like that
You’re really posting on here as “PaytonGendron”? You really are a special, unique kind of piece of s***, aren’t you?
The people of NZ had no choice as they are subjects not citizens. I do know compliance was low.
Evil leftist ideology and police incomptence led to both Parkland and Uvalde.
Guns don’t commit mass shootings.
Deranged leftists with guns do.
Hi Steve,
Do you know what semiautomatic actually means? I’m not trying to be rude it is an honest question. It means one squeeze of the trigger one bullet. People are not getting parts to make guns semiautomatic.
And New Zealand promptly treated all unvaxxed like social and political leppers, banning them from most of society.
That same witch is on video decrying how the reduction in COVID infections has made it impossible to use the pandemic to push through a global restructuring of all society.
It’s very clear. Leftists there and and in the U.S. see outlier massacres by nut jobs (along with the weekly slaughter in the inner cities that you dont care about) as nothing but excuses to strip their citizens of the rights to defend themselves from crime, and more importantly from tyranny.
Not happening.
PS – boycotting every team that kneels or otherwise craps on our patriotic institutions out of some idiotic sense of protest.
…and after she disarmed her people, she could then use “emergency powers” to put them in Nazi style concentration camps during covid lockdowns. No thanks to your solution.
The NRA has nothing to do with any shootings. Its sick people that are doing the shooting and guns can’t shoot by themselves. The NRA teaches Gun Safety. Why do idiots always want to blame everybody but the Sick Minded people for any shooting.
Now the peeps of NZ have no recourse to tyranny…There is a formula to alter the Constitution re the 2nd amendment and fact is the majority do not want the 2nd amendment altered or it would be altered …Fact is our guns are a curb to tyranny…
This is not true, Steve. Recent data shows you are 8 times more likely to have mass murders here than Canada and the UK. In New Zealand last year they has 11 firearm related deaths. I’m not for banning guns, but am for banning assault rifles.
Your theory only works if criminals will give up their guns. Please explain how a law is going to accomplish that.
How you find a way to tie the NRA to mass shootings is remarkable. How does the NRA assume responsibility for all of the gun killings in gun-free zones? It sounds like New Zealand is calling you, Stevie Wonder. Bon Voyage.
I am an 83 year old and so angry and beside myself with anger… i don’t want to hear any thoughts and prayers and thank you for going away from the field while the SSB is played.. I would too.. if these donothingcongressmen and women still do nothing.. VOTE THEM OUT…I stand with you !!!
How about you step up and provide resources to secure the schools like your ballparks. Are the kids not as deserving ?
Just to be clear, yet again, 2A does not grant anything. Like the rest of the constitution, its purpose is to set limits on government. It prevents the government from “infringing”, at all, period, on the pre-exiting, God-given right to keep and bear arms.
Having said that, we already have gun control (in direct violation of the constitution). Schools are already “gun-free zones”, the government gets to decide who can and cannot purchase firearms. You can’t fix crazy through legislation. This kind of thing never happened 100 years ago when people could order firearms out of the Sear’s catalog, why?
https://news.gab.com/2022/05/27/the-mass-shooting-and-liberal-utopian-society/
As for Austrailia, since gun control they enjoy a new phenomenon, home invasion while people are home. The criminals have guns, but the law-abiding homeowner, that is to say, victim, does not. Ask them how they feel about gun control, never mind England, where surprisingly attacks have not stopped with the complete banning of firearms, and how people like you pine, “Save Lives, Stop Knives.” It never ends. They lock up SILVERWARE in department stores, because those are now the deadly weapons.
Get a clue.
Typical drone response. We have had guns in this nation for over two hundred years and school shootings for several decades. So what has changed to cause this, genius?
All i see is leftists being hypocrites as usual.
Be less of a virtue signaling cunt. The insane sissy that killed those children was just that, insane. I’d like to point out it is enablers like you that have allowed the mentally ill in this country to go unscathed and unchallenged whilst they flaunt their sickness as a badge of honor for other virtue signaling cunts to applaud them. Guns aren’t the problem. They were here long before pillowbiters pretending to be women were given legitimacy. The culture is infected with a sickness and those with that sickness need to be culled from society.
I think you are a stupid little bitch. WTF did the cops stand down for almost an hour? Answer that, bitch.
Ditto! Hey Gabe, What specifically would you suggest be done on gun control? You probably part of the Defund the Police movement. Why don’t you put some specific ideas out there instead of trying to bring attention to yourself?????????
Yeah, and now New Zealanders have no wayu to defend themselves against criminals and dangerous crazy people. MORE IMPORTANTLY, the people now have no way to protect themselves from a government that may turn tyrannical or try to remove other rights of the citizenry!
People….passing laws to make certain guns illegal doesn’t stop criminals. Helllloooooo. The criminals are going to break the laws. Let’s use our critical thinking faculties here. If someone wants to kill people, they can just get a shotgun or a bunch of pistols.
Fact is, our entire culture has been glorifying killing for the last century. The military industrial complex. Hollywood and it’s CIA funded scripts. Our new media glorifies the killing of innocent people in other countries simply because our corporate funded politicians decide to vilify the elected president of another country.
Have we forgotten how the sanctions of George H.W. Bush and Clinton, with Madeline Albricht, killed a HALF MILLION CHILDREN aged 0-5 in Iraq because our government blocked basic medical supplies to Iraq?
Where was your outrage the last 30 years? NOW you’re concerned because 19 AMERICAN children are dead?
I understand the feelings of shame that we haven’t been more outspoken on the senseless killing of children, but not just American children. ALL CHILDREN.
Who are the REAL KILLERS? They work on Capitol Hill. They sleep in the White House. They’re the CEO’s and stockholders of Raytheon, Northup Grumman, Boeing, Halliburton, etc.
That doesn’t solve anything. I have owned my guns over 30 yrs and they haven’t killed anyone by themselves.
Actual facts here. https://www.healthdata.org/acting-data/gun-violence-united-states-outlier
Can we please stop with the excuses to not restrict guns? It’s clearly not working and obvious to those without a vested interest in keeping them.
So do we restrict everything that is considered dangerous? There are good people, responsible people that stand to be “punished” by this thinking. The problem cannot be guns…this stuff did not happen when I was a kid. I grew up watch Elmer Fudd blasting Daffy Duck with a shot gun. What what is the real cause of this problem? I can think of several…
We already restrict most things that can kill you in the blink of an eye. Why should guns be different?
We do? Last time I checked, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America…fast food on every corner! Cancer kills…cigarettes and tobacco everywhere! In California, it is a slap on the wrist to get caught with deadly drugs! Guns are the easy target!!!
Get over it already. Once upon a time the same sad tired argument was used by people who didn’t want to wear a seatbelt…or a helmet. Someone up thread said all they have to do is make it possible to sue gun manufacturers for wrongful death and the market would resolve itself. Sounds like a good start. You, Dan…. if you are in fact a responsible gun owner, should get behind this idea because it will have zero impact on you. Get it?
I’m sorry if you see the data I cited as a reason not restrict guns, but that’s what you read, not what I wrote. Interesting that you think the data point to that, however. I don’t. I didn’t say “unnecessary”, I said “insufficient”.
There are over 400 million guns in the USA, only 14K murders per year, most gang related. We have a criminal problem, not a gun problem. Its all you liberals voting in DAs that do not prosecute crimes, coddle criminals, then cry when the 30 times arrested guy, yet never goes to prison, kills someone. Turns out this kid had at least 4 run ins with the law, even threatened 4 years ago to shoot up a school, yet not one thing on his record so his background check went straight through.
I’m not American, but I’m still waiting for someone to explain to me what they need an AR-15 for?
This is all lies and cherry picking
That’s a load of crap, and it’s this type of thinking that prevents us from making progress on this issue.
Peter, I also have to provide some context to what you’ve said.
You mention single incidents in various countries, i.e. Canada, NZ, etc. Yet the rate of gun deaths in the US (4.0 per capita) is eight times that in Canada (0.5 per capita). You cited New Zealand; as another poster pointed out, following that mass shooting, they passed extremely strict gun control legislation. The latest data has their per capita death rate at 0.1 — that’s 1/40 of the US rate. The UK is 0.04 — 1/100 the US rate. Are those really the comparisons you want to make?
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-us-gun-violence-world-comparison/
The rate of gun deaths in the US is dominated by suicides and gang-related homicides. Mass attack deaths are 0.1% of the gun death number. I’m all for it if you want to discuss how to fix those numbers, but they have little to do with the rate or incidence of mass attacks.
There are about 2,000 non-gang related homicides per year in US. That’s 0.6 per 100,000. The rate in most EU countries averages 0.5 per 100,000.
Given these facts, I assume that you and I both want desperately to stop gang-related homicides, which are 80-90% of the total of gun deaths and are the major difference between homicide rates in EU and US. There are few nobler goals. It’s certainly possible to save more lives, as there are only 20-30 mass attack deaths in US per year. Let’s focus on the horrible gun deaths of tens of thousands of young people from gang violence together and solve the problem.
Gang violence is 100% different from a sick individual going to buy a gun and shooting an ELEMENTARY SCHOOL full of CHILDREN! What is wrong with you.
Nicole, I think your point is best directed to Michael, who brought it up. I said what you said, that the two are separate. I am glad we agree.
What do those numbers look like when you subtract gun violence committed by “African Americans?” What’s it look like then?
Also, Peter, I’d urge you to reconsider the notion that because no gun law (short of banning all guns) can stop all gun deaths, we shouldn’t do what we can. At least you acknowledged that we can lower death tolls via legislation (I assume you mean reinstating the assault-weapons ban). But those dangerous incels you talk about — yes, some will get weapons and kill. But you might find this interesting: There is a convincing body of research demonstrating that universal background checks do, indeed, contribute to lower gun-violence rates. Multiple independent studies have found that states with stricter gun laws see lower homicide rates. Please have a look at this — if you don’t believe it, you can Google the topic for yourself.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2022-01-21/report-states-with-strong-laws-see-less-gun-violence
Here’s a look at the effects of specific laws on a state-by-state basis. Cheers.
https://www.science.org/content/article/three-types-laws-could-reduce-gun-deaths-more-10
“I’d urge you to reconsider the notion that because no gun law (short of banning all guns) can stop all gun deaths, we shouldn’t do what we can.” And you should reread what I said, because it wasn’t anything like that at all. I have no such notion, and closer to what I said is one should be aware that when you do that it will be insufficient to stop mass attacks. Lowering the death rates is a good thing, but those law changes alone will have us right back here wondering what to do to stop these attacks, which will then take on different forms.
Lol, Peter. Did you get this “data” from the NRA?
No, you can generate it yourself. For example, you can look up the shootings in New Zealand in 1990 and 2019, combined dead 64. And you can google “Mother Jones mass shootings database” which is thorough for the US and see that there were about 1000 fatalties in US for mass shootings since 1990. Then you take the fact that the US has 340 million and Nz has 5 million people, and you choose the target measure such as mass shooting deaths per million over 32 years. 64/32/5 = 0.4 for New Zealand. 1000/32/340 = 0.09 for the United States.
The point of which, again, is not to say US gun laws shouldn’t change. But the data certainly indicate that it’s not a US-only problem. The gang and low level violence shootings with handguns, including the 200+ school shootings many cite, IS predominantly a US problem, but one that changing assault rifle laws as proposed after mass rifle shootings will not affect. Treat that separately. I would actually like to hear good proposals for that, a hard problem given that most of the handguns used are illegal and I see no path to stopping a black market in them given that a similar war on drugs was such a failure, and we’re legalizing those as a result.
This is about firearms so let’s compare apples to apples. Here in Canada where you can get any hunting weapon you require not named an ar15, the rate of death by firearm is 5 xs less than it is in the states. Yes, it happens sometimes, but there isn’t more mass shootings here than days of the year.
It’s a gun culture in America. More guns than population. And best the mass shooting there are those that aren’t considered “mass”
It’s the gun left in an open drawer for a 6 year old to find
It’s the new rifle little Johnny just got that accidentally discharged and killed somebody
MORE GUNS MEANS MORE OPPORTUNITIES FIR DEATH. ITS REALLY VERY SIMPLE no matter how responsible you are.
Thank you for being a voice of reason, Peter. Thank goodness Kap isn’t in Philly anymore. Such an ungrateful person. Nowhere but here could he make an outrageous amount of money!
The best way to lower the death rate from guns would be to have fewer guns. Not surprisingly, there is an extremely strong correlation between gun related deaths and gun ownership rates. So even if those stats are correct regarding mass shootings, (which seems dubious) lowering the rates of gun ownership would save tens of thousands of lives a year.
Amir, hopefully it’s clear that one factor to consider is switching. Yes, lowering gun rates lowers gun deaths. But it doesn’t lower deaths overall by 100%. One merely has to consider the suicidal person has many options – 60% of gun deaths are suicides but elimination of 100% of guns would not make that number zero. It might significantly impact it, of course, maybe take it down 33%. So the 24k suicides each year become 16k.
Similarly, the homicidal husband who finds his wife and lover cheating who has a gun has one rate of homicidal success, and the one without a gun has a lower one, but again nonzero. Gang members still want to kill and control territory. So what happens to the 16k homicides – I’d put it at 8k maybe? So a total drop from 40k murders to 24k.
Not bad, but not what you envisioned, either. And of course offset all of this by the (relatively small but who knows really) number of elderly people whose homes are currently NOT broken into because they MIGHT have a gun, but in your gun free scenario get tossed down a stairwell by a home intruder. Include more non-deterred rapes etc as well. A net benefit is likely, but far from guaranteed.
I need to update my numbers a bit
Suicides: 24k per year from guns, 20k per year from other
Homicides: 15k per year from guns; 5k per year from other
So taking the 24k suicides down to 16k might be too much, other methods seem to work pretty well. But I’ll stick with that.
And GUN homicides go to half, 7.5k but add back in the 5k from other I forgot.
Total deaths from all methods for suicide/homicide then go from 64k per year to 48.5k per year with zero guns, not that conservatively. No magic bullet, sadly, due to the fact that 40% of the deaths in these areas are already from other methods and that in the remaining, other methods will backfill to some degree, even in the total absence of guns.
Jumping straight to gun restrictions and confiscation as the solution implies you believe that it is OK to have a society where people want to commit mass shootings and the only solution you can come up with is subtracting the weapons.
Since you won’t succeed in doing that everything else you have to say on that matter is masturbation.
Peter, at what point did you interpret “saving thousands of lives” to mean 100% of gun removal? That seems to be one of the problems in this forum. Everyone that has stated some form of GUN CONTROL it is interpreted to be GUN REMOVAL. Where is the disconnect? BACKGROUND CHECKS for all gun purchases should be the federal minimum and not left up to the states, ie Texas failed in this regard and cost the lives of 21 innocent people. Texans should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen in their righteous state. Its difficult to fathom the near ban on abortions (to protect the unborn) only to see those children that are potentially saved be killed at school.
At no point. However, walking through a 100% removal scenario I was able to show that the payoff was less then one would think. I actually go back on the 50% suicide reduction. UK with nearly zero gun suicides has 11 suicides per year per 100k, US is 13 with guns included. So max a 20% reduction as the poison lobby rakes in the dough (joke). So instead of 64k down to 48.5k, it’s more like 64k down to 54k. So that’s ONE ten thousand of lives generally achievable with 100% gun reduction.
Given those stats going partway gets you nowhere near 10k lives saved. Of course factor in there that most of the homicides we’re counting as saved would have to be from a full gun ban, because baby steps on “assault rifles” and long guns would do nothing about the 90% of the gun homicides that result from handguns.
You will note that I stated that a full gun ban was a likely net benefit but far from guaranteed. By noting that you can stop seeing me as a bogeyman simply taking the other side of the argument, and start to listen.
And how many mass shootings have been in NZ since the gun laws passed shortly after the 2019 incident?
Cheers Kap. Big props for this.
Let me check… why, you’re right, exactly as many as occurred in South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oregon combined during that time. Each of those states is about 5M people, and so compares well to NZ. Do you conclude that their gun laws are thus perfect?
These are rare events. Even at US rates of mass attack deaths per capita, a jurisdiction of 5M people would have an event that kills 10 people only once every 30 years, or an event that kills 5 people once every 15 years.
I notice you very carefully said “mass ATTACKS.” And provided no contextual data.
So I went looking.
And at best, Peter, you’re parrotting a lie you were told. At worst, you’re knowingly lying.
Enough deflection.
Would you argue that an attack where the attacker drives a truck into a crowd and then gets out and stabs people, resulting in 8-12 dead, should not be counted?
I gave perfect context for the mass SHOOTINGS in NZ-UK-Canada. I gave the evenets. I even provided links but that is stuck in moderation. 2020 Nova Scotia, 2021 Plymouth, 2020 Christchurch.
For EU, yes there are many attacks that are not with guns. But if we get rid of guns we will have those too. That’s half of my point. It’s why I point out that someone in Norway killed 5 with a bow and arrow last year. They will kill less, that is good. They will not kill zero and will probably still kill half as many.
So try to work to figure out the causes rather than ONLY worry about the methods or equate the deaths to the tools. This is my message. My message is not do not change gun laws. It’s to do that AND do more because Norway has both the gun laws you want and the worst episode of mass attack gun violence in history.
You are so ignorant and stupid only the american éducation system could produce such epic ignorance
There’s more mass shootings per day in the usa than all the countries you made up stastistics about have in a décade- combined
Please éducate yourself
The problem that you talk about as “an American problem” mister Smith is a problem that only belongs to the United States, and not to America.. The situation of always using the name of the continent for only one single country is also something that infuriates many, who do keep silent about it, keeping silent means not being bashed by anyone.. I look at any maps or globes, I do not see the single word “America” on any of them where the country of the Untied States is located. The United States of the American continent (shorten for America). As a resident of one of the 34 other American country of the American continent, do not call me a European for example, my continent is not Europe, I do not live in Europe, I live in the American continent. But not in the United States. If America was only the United States, then the subdivision that is North America would only be Canada, since other countries in North America, such as Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, The Dominican Republic, etc are all in North America. How then could they be in North America when they are located to the South of what way too many people think of what America is, which is only the United States ? Of course, many will tell me that this is another problem, and they will be right. But it not only this gun violence that infuriates many about the United States, there are many things than people in other countries do not judge as “correct” or “right”.
Sophie, you might want to get a better world view about that, because when i search “site:thestar.com America” or “site:ottawacitizen.com America” the Canucks are certainly using America to mean the United States. Bonne nuit!
My first name is not Sophie. You are stating only one thing. l I repeat, look at any geographical maps, at any globes, and you will not see only the word “America” on what is shown as that country, If it pleases you to ignore the other 34 countries of America and its 2 billion 200 million people, then I can not change our mind about this. Maybe someday you will understand that the subdivision that is North America can not have the countries that are south of the United States and still be in North America (Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, etc…) if America to you is only the United States. I wish that the person who did invent the name The United States of America would have called it The United States of the American continent, then there would not have been any behavious / feelings of ignorance, reject and supremacy from some United Statesians (yes, the word (exist!). You may search whatever you want if it pleases you. And it is not because my name is a French language name that I do speak French neither, you can write “Bonne Nuit” all you want also, I am really not impressed… This was my last reply. Twice is enough for me .https://andrewpegoda.com/2016/11/23/its-time-to-abolish-the-use-of-american-when-we-mean-united-statesian-hidden-power-of-words-series-26/
Sylvie, check out BBC America sometime – distinct from BBC Canada, it’s the name of the US-specific BBC channel. You better write them a nastygram because they really should only call it that if it also goes to Belize, Ecuador, and French Guiana of course.
Your beef is not with me, it is with the 90% of the world including editors of non-US english language publications that all use America to mean the United States. Enjoy distracting from main themes on other comment boards as you pursue your lonely crusade.
Change the subject much?
Readily available military combat weapons make it easier to impulsively kill a lot of people quickly, period. To deny that is just plain bullshit.
To make such an ignorant comment is Bull$hit.
Carter, you are making a very common mistake. An AR-15 is not a military weapon. It is a civilian “look a like” version of an M-16, with a very big difference.
An AR-15 is s semi-automatic rifle. Meaning it fires one projectile each time the trigger is pulled. It is no different than any other rifle other than appearance.
An M-16 has both a semi-automatic mode, and a 3 shot burst mode for each trigger pull, (original M-16 had a full auto selection, which meant it fired continuedly until you let go of the trigger, or ran out of ammo).
If that 18-year-old went into that room armed with only a hunting knife and locked the door he could easily kill every single child and the teacher to boot. The guy wore body armor – he wanted to survive his massacre and live to an old age. Had he gone in there knowing he was going to die very soon perhaps he never would have made his plan. Getting rid of guns is not going to solve the problem. The gun was just the tool this sick person used. Death penalty is the solution to mass murders.
If you really want to solve the problem, we should look all over the world and copy the policies of countries that do NOT have mass killings – like China, where per capita these kinds of events are very rare because the death penalty is swift and guaranteed. These six steps would quickly eliminate mass murders in the USA:
Immediate death penalty for anybody who murders with a gun with malice with no appeal and no insanity defense. Make criminals understand that if they do this, they are going to die.
Hold the criminal’s estate and their relatives living with them responsible for the damages. Make criminals understand that if they do this, they are going to die and also ruin their family. Make family members understand if they see something wrong and they don’t report it to the police they will become destitute.
Allow concealed carry everywhere. Not for everyone, but for people without criminal and mental issues. Make criminals understand they ALWAYS are likely to be very quickly be killed by one of their potential victims.
Eliminate all gun free zones. Make criminals understand they ALWAYS are going to run into a situation where they will very quickly be killed by one of their potential victims. This wouldn’t have happened 150 years ago in Texas because many of those 10-year-olds would have been armed.
Make convicted felons second class citizens and never able to possess a gun. Felony gun possession gets immediate 5-year incarceration. Second gun possession gets death penalty. Very quickly there would be a shortage of felons.
Offer death penalty convictions one exception to the strict and swift rule: if the criminal can pay for their own incarceration or find a charity to pay the bill for them then they can delay their execution as long as their bill is fully paid. Then when liberals start complaining about “government taking a life” tell them if they value the criminal’s life to donate their own money to pay for the murderer’s incarceration. Liberals do not have the right to put the burden of paying for murderers to live into ripe old age on the normal law-abiding taxpayer.
Since 2009, there have been 288 school shootings in the United States. That’s 57 times more than all of all the other countries who have experienced this horrific event combined. 57 times. Think about that a second.
Hello, arson, really. One maniac attack in several decades bolsters your opinion of you lot based on us Australians. Shut your idiot mouth and understand you are a fool. Done, the end. How dare you use us to justify you.
How dare anyone speak of Australia at all, really. Most of all how dare Wikipedia have a nice tidy “List of massacres in Australia” that features mass shootings (which several have assured us have never happened there since 1996), arson attacks, and other events. It shows 54 deaths from mass attacks since 2017. That would be multiplied by 13 to adjust for the greater US population – so can you please provide any info you have about equivalent US massacres to the tune of 702 deaths since 2017 so I can best compare to get a feel for the relative magnitude of these problems in the two countries? As an I heard an Aussie in Spain say one time, grassyass.
Peter won’t stand for the anthem. COWARD!
I don’t want you in my country loser.
Move to china.
If you want to try and say this isn’t a USA gun specific problem your only kidding yourself Peter. Here in Canada I’ve never once worried my child wouldn’t come home from school. We don’t have hired security or metal detectors at our schools because we don’t need to. The stats don’t lie, this is 100% about guns and the failure of the government to regulate them
The United States recorded 288 school shootings between 2009 and 2018 – 57 times as many as occurred in the six other Group of Seven (G7) countries combined. The G7 countries with the next-highest number of school shootings were Canada and France, with two apiece.
What I think what many miss with these horrible situations is we go to the changing the rules and crackdowns on inanimate objects which without a sentient human being does not kill people. The why that is in the disturbed and troubled minds and hearts of the people committing these horrific acts are what need to be examined. Not from a political emotional lens that is used for power, but from a place of compassion first and foremost for those whom are going through the tragic loss of a loved one. Secondly through the compassion and mercy to help people who are beaten down by society and channel there desperation and rage in ways that seem unimaginable to me and most others. We need to do the digging to uncover the ugly stuff we don’t want to see and confront it with as much mercy and grace that can be mustered.
Using anger and frustration to come up with decisions that will effect millions is folly. Calmly looking at the the information that comes out and figuring out the best way to address the problem. We as individuals have to do it and not rely on politicians, media etc..
It’s us asserting our influence to be kind and respectful, which is getting harder to do, upon the institutions that can assist us in making the changes needed in society.
STAY IN YOUR LANE SOYBOY. SIT ON A 34 INCH ADIRONDACK.
So Peter…what would it hurt to keep track of who buys or wants to buy a WMD? Please don’t say it’s a nibble against the 2nd Amendment…which is always misinterpreted and misrepresented by folks on your side.
You know, you could always repeal any change you don’t like…just look at what’s going on right now.
Well done!! Now the rest of the league should follow your lead. Individuals in positions of influence should rise up and make noise until something is done to protect our little ones.
The per capita rates are the same?! There have been approx. 220 mass shootings in the US so far this year. Canada has had zero and is ten time smaller. Based on your jacked up math, there should be 22 shootings there this year. Bad math and a bad argument my friend.
Define mass shooting – if you want to include gang shootings where more than one person is shot, then yes the US has many gang shootings conducted with handguns. In fact, on average only a few dozen people per year are affected by attacks like Uvalde, while 15,000 killings per year are of the type you mention.
If we talk about mass attacks of the kind that make the news like Uvalde, those are my stats. The others continue for the very reason, and the very sad reason, that no one cares about the poor kids affected by gang violence. Clearly a US issue that is unsolved because of deep and lasting political disenfranchisement, and because the politically enfranchised don’t actually care. Truly sad, possibly solvable, certainly many more lives affected than with mass attacks. Quite unrelated to mass attacks though.
So you are protesting by essentially doing nothing? And all the while collecting a paycheck for contributing to a capitalist form of entertainment (which the US exemplifies)? What a crock – you are a true coward. If you want to protest at least DO SOMETHING. Cowering in a dugout doesn’t cut it. That’s chickensh*t.
Hi Peter Smith! Try shutting the fuck up once in a while
There’s a block button at the top of your descending colon. It only works when pressed with your nose, but you should have no trouble.
Your numbers are BS you ignorant MF
Let’s take a look at how we socialize boys. Making sure the gender of the shooter is central in the national conversation about mass shootings is absolutely key if we ever want to to prevent this uniquely US phenomenon.
https://womensenews.org/2022/05/its-maddening-gender-is-still-not-central-in-mass-shootings-debate/
Read “Why Young Men?” by Jamil Javani
Thank you for jumping on the bandwagon. I would have some respect for your stance if had been Kneeling in protest at Chicago games for years. But you and your fellow Wokester Jokesters don’t care about the young killers in Chicago. If you really want to reduce the number of young killers on our streets you should address Fatherless Young Killers but you really do not want to solve the problem which is sad. Democrats need the more gun laws talking points since all their policies are destructive and have failed epically. You and your merry band of idiots want to take away our rights to defend our families from Young Fatherless Killers. Your new gun laws will not apply to Young Fatherless Killers. WAKE UP!
Another perspective: responsible firearms owners support improved background checks and red-flag laws, to their credit. No solution will halt every criminal shooter, but every solution deserves a try. It’s counter-productive to dismiss ideas–“it wouldn’t work.” Let’s try them all and follow the data. Because one life saved is priceless.
Why do you expect a law to be perfect? Would 9ne that’s 95% effective at stopping mass murder not be enough? Imagine if only two people a year die from mass shootings, and only a few hundred die a year from gun violence in general? Would that not be a step in the right direction? Or is it a case of what happens to others doesn’t matter to you?
Thanks, Gabe. You’re spot on.
Agreed. Thank you, Gabe. I hope your peers who feel the same way will use their platform as well. It matters. We need action. Your and your peers can be a big part in making that happen.
Mr. Kapler:
You are a real coward. Insted of taking it out in our Flag and National Anthum, why don’t you do something constructive and positive about the current state of the country. Perhaps we can select better politicians that believe this is the Greatest Country and should remain so, God and America First should be the message, not tearing down our history and morals. What are you expecting your actions will do other than further divide our country. We already have enough politicians, and members of the media, showbusiness, and sports tearing this country down everytime you listen. With all due respect: What do you think your father would say about you not showing up for the National Anthem. DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE, NOT DESTRUCTIVE.
Wow, the moral police is out in force today. I guess you think being tough and macho is the way to influence people, instead of engaging in constructive conversation. Everyone knows that guns will continue to be held in this country forever. Some people just want a better balance between the right to own and the right to be safe. And especially the right for innocent children and their teachers to learn and teach in a safe, caring environment.
Yelling at thoughtful people who see the issue differently from you shouldn’t cause such a violent reaction on your part. Unless, of course, you are feeling insecure yourself.
Gabe is no coward and anthem is spelled a-n-t-h-e-m.
Not the moral police! Moral?! The NRA shills. They always make quite sure they have their talking points , repeated over and over….
A question for you, gun people . Do you feel anything at all for those terrified children being ripped apart by bullets? Parents were asked for their DNA… for identifcation….my god…
Thank you Gabe. Miss you here in Philly, I applaud your courage.
I don’t think anyone in Philly misses him. .500 record and awful managing decision. My apologies if you were referring to Philadelphia, MO and not Philadelphia, PA.
He is a fraud, if he really cared he’d use his voice and “level of celebrity” to get involved and take action. Talk is talk, and nothing else. Typical athlete thinking they are more important than they really are.
Isn’t that what he did by posting to his blog, speaking to the media and I’m sure following through on his protest? That sounds like a brave hero to me. The coward is the one who attacks the man using obscure social media and has zero accountability for his moronic words and meaningless thoughts. Go get him tough guy!
what exactly stops every person who has a complaint from kneeling then?
Nobody wants to hear the truth. The problem is in the heart. You push God away from everything, then this is what you have……evil. Give the man a new heart and evil leaves. Light always eliminates darkness.
while i am an atheist… you might be right. Sure does seem like morons need a higher power to fear or things get out of hand
Gabe you are a coward. Man the Eff up and get out there. Such a taint.
right… because it takes courage to stay quiet. Makes sense. Thanks for being so brave with your post
Thank you for your well articulated thoughts, which mirror my own feelings and experience. Two weeks ago I was at an MLS game with my 2 sons and their soccer teams and I debated taking a knee during the anthem given my general feelings of dismay at the state of the country, but like you I let my own feelings of discomfort prevent me from doing so, not wanting to “embarrass” my boys. In hindsight it was a missed opportunity to teach them how to peacefully protest the ills currently taking hold in our country. I won’t miss the next opportunity to teach them, it’s too important.
No Joan he doesn’t !! you don’t like our country then do something about it or better yet, please leave it.
wow, i don’t think to many people think that way.. Russia would welcome you two non Americans
Thank you Gabe. FYI this was edited out of the Star Spangle Banner before they made it the National Anthem. Key was a known racist. “Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/pdf/ssb_lyrics.pdf
Well skippy way to go. Baseball has gone the way of nba and nfl. I can’t stand the soft sports and now will never support anything that has to do with you or baseball. You are costing mlb millions of dollars. All the workers who clean up after the games, ticket window employees, the security people who protect your multimillionaire babies who play a non contact sport. You’re costing mlb money which will affect more people than a rich pampered pssy. I hold you took the shot and got boosted baby and hope to see you drop dead like the soccer players in europe.
Please stop trolling. Not wanted here.
Go fight for this country, risk life and limb day then tell me you will do the same
You are a shameful person
Sanctimonious thoughts coming from a fool that thought it made good sense to have a dinner so that Dodger players could meet with a 17 year old runaway and discuss how they gave her alcohol and sexually assaulted her in their hotel room
So since monsters do horrific acts with a gun, you want to take away the ability for law abiding citizens to defend themselves against these monster. Cain killed Abel with a rock. God didn’t ban rocks. He banned Cain because of the evil deed.
Why do mass shooters want to go into gun free zones?
Why don’t you post a gun free zone sign in your yard?
You are a manager for a Game. A freaking game. You suck
Thanks Gabe. As a military veteran, I’m embarrassed that elected officials hasn’t moved on automatic rifles after 19 children and 2 teachers were slaughtered, 19 and 2! One is too many.
I own a gun and I’m prior military and have zero need for an automatic rifle. If you’re not law enforcement, military, security, gun range owners etc; there’s zero need to have one. The answer would be to pass laws to make them illegal and those that already have purchased them, register them. If they’re weapons are used in crimes irregardless if you claim their stolen, the owner should be held liable. Background checks a must and enforce licenses for any weapons. The government is NOT trying to take your guns, only to reform guidelines and hold those of us with weapons accountable, liable. Arming teachers and blaming mental illness when most governors cut healthcare reform for their states is just deflection from what needs to be done. Those children were not Republican nor Democrats and we really need to research past behaviors in the upcoming election because right now, our elected officials (most) decided to go home to observe the holiday and many of them never served a day in the military and have zero respect for those that have given their lives for them to enjoy this weekend. Any other country would have convened the same day and enacted laws to prevent this from re- occurring. I want America to stand up and vote those that refuse to show those families in Uvalda that their children and teachers lives mattered and we as Americans irregardless of political affiliation want to do something. The governor of Texas, praying for him, his morals, his values was at a fundraiser three hours AFTER those children were murdered. The NRA conference went about as if nothing happened. We need to be mindful of who we put in office, our votes in numbers will force them to finally do something.
Thank you for using your platform and I heard your press conference, you got choked up. Very embarrassing that our elected officials want to shift blame at a time when 19 children and 2 teachers were killed. You dont see them getting choked up because their morals are in the wrong place. If this didnt infuriate you or made you anxious, something is wrong; perhaps you need to get mental help. We need to vote those out that value money and power over people.
God bless those families of all that were killed with peace and praying God show mercy for elected officials doing nothing to show that their lives mattered.
Your not military! Your a liar or a moron. You mentioned automatic weapons. Learn the difference between semiautomatic and automatic before you lie and say you’re ex military. Troll
Bro, the ONLY place on earth that has mass shootings? Educate yourself. I’m guessing you don’t follow local news of 180 countries or even G8 nations. Happens everywhere and in many countries at a higher rate. However I agree w you in your feelings about the country’s (lack of) direction and leadership
He is absolutely correct about being a coward. While he performs his job behind the security of heavily armed guards and the ability to utilize private security, he wishes the rest of us have no such luxury and to make it harder to defend ourselves.. it’s already illegal to murder people and the continued vapid cries of “DO SOMETHING” disregarding our constitutional rights that SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. Already saw commentary that AR15 aren’t protected by the 2nd ammendment lol glad to see the same legal heavyweights that occupy vast majority of Twitter have found their way over here. You people that politicize tragedy are absolutely disgusting humans and further reinforce the importance of our 2A. If he were serious he would demand no weapons present at MLB games but he won’t because he knows they keep him safe. Utter hypocrite.
How is this not a political issue? I’ll wait for what I’m sure will be your cogent, coherent answer.
Gabe is a fool. How about you demand that schools are hardened. Stop blaming And use your energy before the next tragedy happens. But that’s what the left does. Yup! They sit back and wait and stomp their feet like children. “We need to ban firearms “ blah blah.
Many good men died for this country. You best stand and take the field. After all you’re playing a little boys game. Try showing them what a real man is , you FN child. Many Americans don’t care about sports because of fools like you. You took the game and turned political e.g. all star game. What a lie that was as evidence by the turn out. We are over you and you’re taking points. May God bless the Republic.
It’s people like you who are destroying this country.
I hope you feel better soon. It’s got to be distressful that you can count on armed security at your place of work when most of us can’t.
I feel for you, i really do because when you’re on the road you have armed security at your hotel, most of us don’t at our own homes. You make multimillionaire money so you can afford private schools for your kids and armed home security too. The guilt is getting you down.
The rest of us live in a world where career criminals roam our streets instead of prison yards. Narcotics gang members are being chauffeured from illegal entry to cities around the nation paid for by the Biden administration.
Facts – matter- there was no “resource officer i.e. “peace or sworn officer” at the school per Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven C. McCraw (Colonel) per his May 27 2022 statements/press conference “McCraw added that the resource officer was not even on school grounds at the time of the shooting.” (https://www.insider.com/texas-police-change-timeline-of-uvalde-shooting-retract-key-claim-2022-5)
Secondly Per the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting System data – Expanded Homicide Data Table 8 – Murder Victims 2015-2019 (Most recent data) there are ~ 250-300% more persons killed by an assailant using their hands, feet, fists, etc (pushing) from 2015-2019 than there are killings by long rifles therefore any assertion banning “assault rifles” will reduce homicides is factually incorrect.
Thanks Gabe for reminding me that people like you are making millions at the expense of the US government and because the US government is complicit in enabling sports monopolies.
Go fuck yourself
Thank goodness for you because you are brave and you are showing us all we can be together!!!
Virtue signaling. The country’s delivered pretty well for Gabe. His massive income is fueled by a Supreme Court anti-trust exemption for baseball. The city helped pay to build the ball park. He gets big bucks for playing a kid’s game.
Teach everyone to turn their back on the ideals enshrined in the pledge. That will surely make a better country. Why not burn a U.S. flag? You can do that too and be lauded and praised by others that want to destroy the country.
Another reason to not watch Baseball along with Football or Basketball.
We have guns to have liberty. Governments have killed more of their own people than school shooters ever will. The real issue is a moral sickness in society that drives young men to a feeling of numbness, desensitized to others, feeling hopeless about their future. In my opinion there is need for some type of spirituality to give them a sense of belonging and accountability.
Your writing and communication utensils seem to have grammar issues, and your car shouldn’t be driving drunk, especially while your eating utensils are making you fat…It’s distracting and dangerous, an affront to society…
They should be strictly regulated, (or banned entirely), and you should have to be licensed just to posses and/or use them, and the restrictions should increase until all such problems, or the offending regulated products themselves, are eliminated from society entirely…
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” – Albert Einstein
Gabe you are so brave. Not coming out for the national anthem is amazing. You manage a baseball team. You are so important to this country. Thanks for all you do. You can donate this years salary to the families who were affected by this tragic event. Better yet just disrespect the flag that is the better option. Ps fuck you.
Thank you. When our elected representatives won’t lead, we must stop what has, sickeningly, become our response ritual: thoughts and prayers, moments of silence, gaslighting by self serving politicians who blame everything but weapons of mass murder, and then moving on until the next one where we do it all over again, rinse and repeat. We can no longer go along with this ritual of complacency and indifference. Politicians who care more about fundraising opportunities and social media engagements and fabricated culture wars than our CHILDREN. We are not powerless, we can disrupt this sick ritual and that’s what you are doing, what the Miami Heat is doing, what Steve Kerr is doing. We have to look to our sports for courage and leadership because too many elected leaders are cowards.
My sister is a teacher, no she does not want to be armed. The same people who don’t trust her to teach books trust her to carry a weapon in class? These people want her to take on an armed shooter when police, who are trained and armed with protective equipment, won’t do it? She’s an educator; this country should protect her at school just like we should protect the children she teaches, not expect her to take down an active shooter armed with assault rifles and enough rounds for a battlefield.
We must try. We cannot accept a built in cost of slaughtered children, their faces and little bodies torn apart by an AR15, as the price for “freedom” – that’s not real freedom, and certainly those kids aren’t free to live their lives, they’re dead.
F U Gabe. Just shut up and manage your child’s game. No one wants to hear your woke BS.
The killer in TX was a mentally deranged person who unfortunately didn’t have any prior felonies. He did go through background check. There were many red flags but also unfortunately they were ignored. You can blame our National Anthem…but how? Because we have a second amendment? Everyone is horrified by this terrible event. But if this killer hadn’t gotten guns, he would have figured another way to kill people. Look at the killer in Waukesha-running down people with a car. What we need is to fortify our schools. Fences, cameras, self-locking doors, armed security guards and armed willing teachers. There are many things we could do to make our schools safer…we had 50+ Billion to give to Ukraine, we can make our schools safe for our most vulnerable population. But blaming our National Anthem for the actions of a evil, deranged person is not helpful or truthful.
Fuck you! You have no fucking idea what home of the brave stands for. Your a fucking idiot with asshole followers. It’s about the brave Service men and women that defend our country, protect your freedom. The freedom that allows you to be the fucking asshole you are. I spent 30 years serving this country and it’s assholes like you that make me sick to my stomach! I truly hate people like you. Go fuck yourself you fucking assclown!
Not that brave. Under Biden and the demonrats we all know that the state of the country is horrible. School shootings put an exclamation mark on the sickness of the country. The anthem has nothing to do with it. Instead of being “brave” like krapperdick do something.
Wow!
I agree the country is headed in the wrong direction – and its all the democrats fault – Let’s Go Brandon! Guns aren’t the problem – we had a lot less gun laws 40-50 years ago and none of this nonsense of shooting up schools happened. This is a God, Discipline lack of a stable family problem. You pulled God and Discipline out of schools and kids go astray. Also if we can send billions of dollars to Ukraine only to have it sent back to the senators, congressman, elites in DC under the radar and that’s what is happening then we ought to have the money to make our schools safe. One entrance – one exit – metal detectors – Resource Officers fully armed. As far as you not honoring the sacrifices of our fallen hero’s and our great country – you need a new job.
Thanks Gabe for stepping up and representing the majority.
You all want a bitch and complain, but abortion is the leading cause of child death… let’s ban that… moron’s.
Let’s rewind the narrative- Kapler when a minor league coach did not report abuse of girls by his players while the adult as a mandated reporter- he hasn’t spoken out about the summer of love when rioters destroyed cities- he hasn’t lectured us on Chinese use of slave labor – he hasn’t condemned BLM for not using millions to improve lives – — – and right outside the stadium we have homeless- well Gabe if your serious and committed resign and run for office —-rather than point fingers
How about you help provide some potential solutions rather than be ashamed of our country. We live in a unbelievably well protected bubble, you and your family more so. If you can’t do that, then it means you believe you’re signaling your virtue, when in actuality your proving how disconnected you are.
Your a fucking dill do , and no nothing about society and law and life . So quit acting like you have any clue on the subject ,,. Just stop and keep cashing your over inflated checks .
Brave? 🤡 Being a whining, Commie crybaby is not being brave. Kapler is paid to manage, not to showboat personal political feelings. Grow up.
Idiot
Gabe, I hope you value and appreciate your freedom to peacefully protest in this free country. Most of our country is not as privileged as you. Spend your privilege wisely.
You communist piece of crap.
I’ll tell better about this country when we get rid of idiots that won’t stand for the flag.
Tell me ONE country good rather live. Then go live there.
We CAN make schools safer. Have concealed carry in schools. EVERY mass shooting is where idiots BAN guns. These shooters TARGET places they know that they can do mass shootings before they get shot back at. Even the military bases didn’t let SOLDIERS carry their own guns. Worst city to live in? Chicago, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.
hey Gabe. If you’re not proud of our country, which has provided you freedom and riches beyond your wildest dreams, my advice is to get the hell out. And leave. To wonderful shitholes like China. North Korea. Venezuela. Syria. Ukraine. Somalia. Or Sri Lanka. Bye bye loser.
Specious, illogical, lack of critical thinking. Stick to posing shirtless, you’re far more tolerable when your shirt is off. Your brain should be more engaged, but… It is what it is
All true – now what are you thoughts on normalizing forced medical procedures and 24/7 fear predicated on the kid’s not catching a old Gabe?
Fuck you Cukler, you miserable cunt. 🖕🏳️🌈🇨🇳🇰🇵
You and Steve Kerr just virtue signal. There is horrific gun violence in your own backyard between Oakland and San Francisco and I have never heard you call out the local politicians that have caused the problems in both cities. Therefore you are fake and your protest doesn’t matter.
I think it’s time we hear from the Gun manufacturers themselves, no other industry goes unchecked like this. They need to help create a plan to make the public safer to continue to sell their products.
I think it’s just showing how much you hate America 🇺🇸 and all Americans who died to protect that flag . Your the worst kind of scum bag
Wake up all you fools. Stand up for this country lest Ye lose it. Guns don’t kill people. People do. Mental health crisis is the issue here. The people in charge are trying to disarm Americans and what happens after that has been documented in plenty of non taught in school books. WTFU!!!
I will not be attending or watching Giants games because of the manager’s political views. I will tell all of my friends not to attend or watch, and I believe that many others feel this way as well. If he wants to be a politician he should run for office.
As a lifelong Giants fan I remember Gabe’s hiring apology tour, and how to cover for his shameful treatments of victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Dodger animals, Gabe got super woke, hired a female coach to atone for his sins, and singled out the one player on his team who had the guts to not bow for BLM. (Coonrod) Perhaps to avoid getting fired in the Bay Area Gabe thinks his progressive shtick will win hearts or minds. Or maybe he’s butt hurt Steve Kerr beat him to the beta male emotional take. I’ll give him credit for not getting in the way of the NL West title last year, but he can be replaced with any other sabermetric enthusiast who will do just as good a job. Hey Gabe, your team kind of stinks right now and you got swept by the Padres. Do your job.
Gabe, you POS. Why don’t you color your hair purple, and join Antifa & BLM, read Karl Marx and start goose-stepping?
This is why millions do not pay attention to sports any more-complete sheltered ignorant millionaires shit on America while knowing nothing of what they speak of. The moment you pull a stunt like this for the dozens of black kids shot in Chicago this Memorial day weekend or worry that almost 100 billion US $$ Is being stolen through a proxy war in Ukraine or you take your ass to Ukraine & stand next to the nazis of azov fighting for a complete puppet zelinski.. then you can be taken seriously. Your a joke & jist another mask pulled down in this epic time of reveal
Narcissistic douche bag… baseball sucks anyways.
Perhaps what should be addressed is the nihilism that many young men feel and the manner in which they are being cast out and isolated. When people are well-connected in community and have a good sense of self they don’t do such horrific things. Rather than the entire country being obsessed with telling people that there is no truth about what a man or a woman is, perhaps we should focus on helping young men to develop as responsible individuals.
It’s an even more disgusting state of affairs when our National Anthem isn’t respected. Hopefully nobody will show up for your games! I’m a disabled veteran.
Yes, thanks for your actions. They do nothing. They are talk, words, attention to self. Now lets see how you actually do something with your $$, your platform, lets see where your soul is really at……. And by the way…..Our National Anthem is for what is right with our country, its for our ideals, it is for what we are striving it to be. If we equated the National Anthem to agreeing with the things that are wrong no one would ever, ever, ever stand. Because when people are involved there is one thing guarenteed. Something will always be wrong.
Think of it as standing for what’s right and what you want this country to be.
DG
You used the word THINK in your comment and praise of this moron – I do not believe you know the meaning of the word think – especially not where TRUTH is involved.
You know what I am sick and tired of? People, like pro athletes and actors and musicians spouting off about things they have no real experience with or knoweldge of, and they do it simply because they can. And the sheep of our country listen and follow. Mr. Kapler, what do you think disrespecting our nation’s flag and amthem accomlishes? Absolutely nothing. The flag and the anthem dont just represent our current country. They represent, even more so, those who came before us and made our way of life possible. Made it possible for people like you to just sit in a dugout, where the toughest decision you make is who will pitch next. Being of Jewish heritage, you, of all people, should be thankful for what this country and its people have done…and continue to do. You don’t like it here…leave. No one is forcing you to stay here. You are a disgrace to the many men and women who fought and died to give you the freedom to sit on your ass in a dugout and spout your mouth off, while you actively do nothing to help.
I agree with Gabe completely, and I’m a big Trump supporter. On the issue of gun control we disagree with President Trump though I agree that many of the Dem politicians who expressed outrage could care less about the parents of Uvalde.
Anyone who dislikes our nation so much that they refuse to honor her in even the smallest ways, is welcome to leave.
Say, Powder-Puff! You have no clue as to what the National Anthem represents. You are not protesting, you are subverting. You have no idea of what the 2A represents. You are part of the problem , my friend, and do not even realize it. To be brave, which you are not, is to look at the issue straight in the eye and acknowledge the truth. You are too weak to do that which is evidenced by you using your public platform to promote weakness and distrust. Your job is to win baseball games. Your job is to sink the Dodgers and Padres. Your job is not to run your mouth about what America is or is not. That’s what elections are for. Shame on you.
What a dumbass! You stand to honor those who gave you freedom not because you disagree with a current event. What a dumbass, no way his dad taught him at 11 to disrespect the flag and country because you woke about the latest political hot topic
thanks for playing a game of baseball. and sitting out in protest.
That s neither bravery nor leadership … when 911 happened we did not ban airplanes but we reinforced plane and airport security … the same should have happened with schools since Columbine and the fact it did not happen means either (1) it s stupidity and incompetence or (2) it s plainly deliberate …
Ok, so you are mad. We all are. You appear to be condemning the whole country. This country allows you the freedom to express yourself. Revel in that. Oh, by the way, do the 10000 innocent DUI victims, 100000 opioid victims and the all the other victims out there also upset you? Instead of whining and showing disrespect to the whole country, how about getting involved.
Yes, thanks gabe for showing the true hypocrisy of the left on a national level. Did you know that statistically, these deaths account for only seven and a half minutes of work at planned parenthood? Every day, 1 baby is aborted every 25 seconds. But let’s grab some headlines.
No one cares
No thanks. You will not take my rights away in a knee-jerk reaction to a whacko with a gun. Had he mowed them down with a vehicle would you be talking about banning cars? Hardly. What if he threw them from the roof….ban gravity itself or maybe no structures over one storey? No, what idiots don’t seem to grasp, and it’s not a mistake that they don’t because they are the same people responsible for messing up the minds of children, they dont get it that in troubled times it takes men with guns to make things right. I recently moved from PA to Florida and I’m a machinist and gunsmith. I’ll be having a promotion soon for a “ghost gun” workshop, where I instruct a paying client how to make an AR using my machines. I will make it my mission to put guns in the hands of every law abiding person here in Florida and there isn’t a damn thing al you pearl-clutching fools can do about it.
Where is the uproar from you and Kapler during the mass shootings every night in Chicago and Baltimore, etc?? The world will never be rid of guns. NEVER. The criminals and mental whackjobs DO NOT OBEY LAWS. They laugh at your endless fixation on more gun laws while the abundant current laws do nothing to deter a criminal from killing. It’s probably a safe wager you favored arming Ukraine, correct? Emotional fake virtuous hypocrite.
Wait till you see child and infant death count from vaccines. You might want to get off your knees and do something about it.
You think this was “Brave?” Kapler disrespected the very country that fulfilled his childhood dreams and you call him brave for this action? On Memorial Day weekend no less? A weekend that is designated to honor our fallen is NOT the time to try and steal the spotlight for a cause that Kapler obviously doesn’t even know what he is talking about! Yeah, I could go on about this not be the ONLY country where this happens or that the U.S. is one of the freest countries in the world (which is ironic that Kapler complains about not being free as he wants to take more freedom away), but I won’t! I would just like to thank Mr. Kapler for spitting in mine and my fathers face as we both spent over 20 years defending this, apparently, grotesque nation! Thanks Kapler, for dishonoring our war dead this glorious Memorial Day weekend! You did get one thing right, you are a frigging COWARD!!!! Go Giants!!!
So you would rather suck Chuck Schumer’s Communist DemocRAT dick than listen to the National Anthem.
That’s to be expected in yhe Gay Bay.
HAVE AT IT FAGGOT! WHO CARES!
Thank you – there are more of us, upright citizens, then those only concerned with just their selfish personal liberties.
That asshole should resign and give up his fat salary if he really meant it!!
I agree, Thank you, Mr. Kapler, for writing this and for sitting out during the national anthem. I am ready for the repeal of the 2nd Amendment.
You should know that if you look at international data for all countries of the world that compares the number of guns per capita to the number of people killed by guns on a per capita basis, there is NO relationship between the number of guns and the number of people killed by guns. NONE. The USA ranks right along with the countries with the lowest rates of gun deaths. Please do your research in stead of following misguided emotions. Please.
more people die from car accidents than from gun deaths .your just a lib trying to be relevant.400 million guns in america you will never take them lib boy .and ask the jews what happen when you give over you guns to the government .and this illagetament president the stole an election is what the 2ed amendment is for not for hunting .2000 mules .losers
Brave? For parroting the media and DNC talking points? No, brave would be recognizing that the umpteen laws that are currently in-place didn’t do anything to stop this, so why would 20 more? How about enforcing the ones we have instead of continuing to focus on the ‘rights’ of long-rapsheet criminals and the mentally disturbed while defunding police department
So on point and reflecting the sadness, outrage, and disappointment so many of us are feeling. The completely open door for gun purchasing in Texas are a big part of this latest massacre. I am a 6th generation Texas and I’ve become increasingly ashamed of the direction things have headed here and I completely agree. Uts time to stop being quietly uncomfortable. Thank you, Gabe for your statement, it’s inspiring.
Here is some data to put things in perspective:
USA-ABORTIONS:“Total number of abortions in the U.S. 1973-2018: 61.8 million+ …In 2000, there were approximately 857,000 legal abortions in the United States. In 2019, this figure decreased to some 630,000.”
USA-CAR WRECKS:“Nearly 43,000 people killed last year as Americans returned to the roads after deserting them early in the pandemic.”
USA-ODs: “CDC indicated that nearly 108,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021.”
USA-GUNS: “Last year saw the highest number of deaths as a result of active shootings – 103 total – since 2017.”
If saving lives is the goal then what sector should be the priority?
AR, as in, AR-15 stands for the company who makes the gun: Armalite. Just wanted to correct the record for those referring to the AR part as meaning ‘assault rifle’ or ‘automatic rifle’. As you were.
Bravo, Gabe! I had an impression of you, from far away, as a muscular guy and not much more. Now I realize that the muscle that lives in your head is functioning at a heroic, almost poetic level. What you wrote was a gem, perfectly reflecting the moment. I hope you don’t catch too many incoming artillery rounds, as Colin Kaepernick did. (You do have one advantage over him: You are not a person of color. But in the current hate-filled climate, who knows? I am now going to send your blog post to an elderly Giants fan, who will likely not be pleased by your stance. It’s tough for me to praise the manager of a team that just finished demolishing the Mets, who scored 28 runs in three games. But your eloquence and bravery have overcome my momentary sadness over the less-than-friendly greeting that your lineup gave Thomas Szapucki in his major-league debut. You are now a hero to me.
Pax,
Bob
Funny this kid went an got his guns the legal way – like most responsible gun owners = he’s the one to choose how to use the gun he bought – so more laws against guns are only hurting the responsible people – criminals don’t abide by any laws – i.e. Washington D.C. / Chicago / N.Y. – all areas where criminals commit more homicides than the last 200 mass shootings – Knives kill more people than people are aware of … should we ban knives ???
I love you and share in tour heartbreak. So much respect for your decision. We are no longer free. We are hostages to greedy selfish cowards in Congress. I urge everyone in sports to do the same.
You sir need to stick to baseball and wait till ALL THE FACTS COME OUT. Fact – even though its an all doors locked school a teacher propped open the back door and shooter entered-that teacher needs to be deposed and prosecuted. fact safety officer was not on campus. Fact police waited almost an hour waiting for swat WHILE THEY ALL HAVE BODY protection. They were told to wait and stand down. WHERE WAS THE HEROES THST WERE SWORN TO PROTECT AND SERVE-apparently they protected themselves. Police chief said in hindsight it was a wrong decisions to not enter – he needs to be fired and prosecuted. NOT TO MENTION a poor kid mentally deranged and said 4 years ago when he’s a senior he will commit a school shooting, NOT TO MENTION a poor kid with $4k-$5k of armory and weapons driving an expensive truck-SO DONT OPINE like all you sport people always do UNTIL YOU KNOW THE FACTS – shut up and play ball
WEF bot Joan prefers we sleepwalk into a dystopian future. Women should be the most progun. God made all people and Samuel Colt made them all equal
Please move to another country!!! Today
Of course a non gentile who is soft as applesauce showing his Jewish revolutionary spirit , barf. So tired of these drama queens called non gentiles.
Dear Mr.Kapler, Thank you for making your feelings public – I also decided not to stand and with my hand at my heart. In addition to the unspeakable suffering by the mass murders, the circumstances of cowardice, cynical posturing by corrupt politicians and conspiracy criminals, we finally are a country in which schools, supermarkets and county fairs are war zones of domestic terror. THIS MUST CHANGE! Kindest regards, Hartmut Esslinger
Hey Gabe- if you hate it here so much why don’t you go to another country? Believe me, no one would even notice! Let’s see how much income you can generate there! There is no place for someone like you here. Amazing how you elites have absolutely no respect and show no thanks for being in the best country in the world!!
There are other avenues to voice your displeasure Kapler .At the end of the day you are disrespecting the flag , the USA , the military and myself . What you are doing is setting a bad example . Our country is far from perfect. Politicians, liberals and political correctness are to blame along with poor parenting .
What happened in Uvalde is tragic but also indicative of an average weekend in Chicago. I have never seen question our anthem over the daily violence in Chicago hypocrite.
Just consider this late term abortions like all the other stupid liberals
The flash doesn’t represent the state of our country nor does the national anthem. To disrespect those who have fought for our freedom is a disgrace in and of itself. How about you be about change instead of protesting something that has nothing to do with it.
Resign and become a police officer so you can “feel better” about solving problems, you spoiled fucking moron.
Your ignorant and this so called position your taking shows the bubble you live in. How about all the shootings in the major cities across the country? Your current city has turned into a shit show. 15 times the shooting deaths in schools is school transportation every year. It’s not about saving lives your about showing how woke you are in a city that due to horrible woke policies is not the great city it once was.
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BRING BACK BOCHE !! You disloyal loser. What your doing makes ZERO sense. Sure you have a right to be a disloyal American idiot, but that doesn’t mean that your not that. One man commits a crime so America Sucks? Same nonsense logic. Thanks for ruining the Giants, and making my decision to cancel my MLB.tv subscription easy.
I agree with almost everything you said except his right to protest the anthem. But as a Veteran I have every right to say his actions in this holiday weekend is despicable and a slap in the face to all the men and women who gave the greatest sacrifice. You can sit down Gabe but please shut up also.
If Kapler cared about shootings he need’s only to look at most cities in this country . Chicago has 30 shooting a weekend and more on holiday weekends Is he cancelling the Giants games in Chicago in protest. There is something hollow in the criticisms of these types . By the way Australia’s confiscation of guns in 1996 did nothing to stop homacides.
ONLY country this happens in? Ignorant statement. Unfortunately, people don’t understand that a society that has financial, economic, social and family problems will inevitably lead to a more violent society. Higher violent crime rates per capita are prevalent in other countries compared to the US. Also, people are ignorant as to why the 2nd amendment exists. It’s arguably the most important right. It does not exist to shoot “deer wearing Kevlar” like some politicians claim. Firearms, and firearm owners, are the easy scapegoats. There are countless laws on the books. There are red flag laws. There are (nearly) gun free cities and states— some are the most violent and murderous. I understand the heart break and emotional pleas, but rights cannot be taken away because a (minority) part of the population wants them gone. Besides, to call a constitutional convention to erase the 2A would open the floodgates and put all rights in the crosshairs. (I’m sure one side that welcomes censorship and reliance on the fed govt would welcome that, however.)
With all due respect to you and your father, I belive you are both misguided. Why not pledge aligience to your country,flawed as it is, then do something truly substantive to demonstrate your devotion and facilitate the change you want? With your platform you have the potential to do so much more than an inefectual cancel/virtue signaling gesture.
Sorry Gabe. Many, no all, of us feel what you feel about the Uvalde Innocents. You’re fortunate that many of us will still defend your right to protest the U.S. That is what you’re doing when you kneel. When the flag comes by, I will stretch just a little higher on your behalf on July 4th.
Rex Mason, Prescott, AZ
You are the only guy with Balls in this entire country!
We miss you Gabe
Dan Bercu
You need to kneel on the field. I cannot go in the dugout. My protest must be public. You need to lead. You need to take knee the field, or better yet we sould lie on the ground like slaughtered children.
Thank you sir!
Nothing can be so brave as hiding in the Mens room while some music is played!
Loser.
You are not a true leader. I am a veteran and saw to many not come home. Are you a veteran. Grows pair come out and make your statement don’t hide in the locker room like a pos. You probably voted for Biden you have yourself to blame.
Not Brave just sensationalism to promote something that does not have anything to do with the tragedy. Let’s talk about the problem and leave the anthem out of it. This country could be a lot better but no one steps up to the problems only what they are not going to do. Solve the problems do not protest something else.
Thank you.
I totally agree! I admire the courage it took to act in such a forthright way. It is insanity to read the comments of some on this site who are incapable of critical thinking skills. But not surprised, unfortunately. Maybe one day this country will be full of people who believe and act in the best interest of themselves and others.
Another uninformed muscle head. America is the only country with mass shootings? Read a book. Your dad should be disappointed with you for being a dummy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNJ3X8ZaJgM&t=621s
“The right to bear arms of people WHO BELONG to a well regulated militia shall not be infringed upon” is the change we need to the 2nd amendment.
Republicans are evil. They deserve to have their sons killed in mass shootings and their daughters raped and banned from abortions
So sad to see so many fooled by false flags and government stupidity. Read a tutorial on the 2A, realize that it exists to prevent the government overreach we are seeing daily…Then rethink your positions.
In Gabe Kapler’s world, the United States of America has to bat 1.000 or pitch to a 0.00 ERA. This is the greatest country in the history of the world, but it’s still not perfect. We strike out every once in a while. They hit a jack off us at times. But we are still MVP caliber. You don’t publicly give up on an MVP player, because he wasn’t perfect. Gabe Kapler just doesn’t like the US, it’s as simple as that.
Did he walk out on the anthem when a racist ran over a slew of people in Wisconsin during a Christmas parade? Did he protest when another racist opened fire recently on a NY City subway? Did he bend the knee when yet another racist killed 5 Dallas police officers? When another racist ran over and killed a Capitol Police officer in DC? Of course he didn’t. You know why.
Brave would be outrage and protest that not ONE RED CENT has been spent to protect children while TRILLIONS were spent to secure airports and air travel and launch a 20 year war when thousands were killed on 9-11. No guards, no tech, no weapons, …nothing. If you loved kids, you’d keep them away from unsafe places or demand those places be defended.
9-11 didn’t result in banning guns or planes or bombs, but that seems to be an fixation here.
Is it really only the stupid people that think that evil criminals follow laws? Laws are only for Lawful people. In case you didnt notice… its illegal to kill a person regardless what you use to kill them and taking our guns wont stop the Chinese guy that killed over a dozen kids in school with a knife. Guns dont kill people… stupid people that take guns out of school are responsible to the children deaths. How do you stop a crazy guy with the intent to stab a dozen school children… yep for all the slow folks…. a good guy with a gun. EVIL CRIMINALS DONT FOLLOW LAWS… Gun regulation will only affect those that desire to follow the law and if you would be stupid enough to think criminals will turn in their guns when the government passes a law to turn them in or regulate them. Pure ignorance.
Gabe’s a failed manager what has deep thoughts…
Cannot even fill in a roster card. Pathetic.
Children have about the same risk of dying from lightning at school than from a mass shooting.
Per capita mass shootings are lower in the US than France, Norway, and several other northern European countries beloved by lefties.
Chicago is handgun free and leads the nation in handgun deaths and attempts to murder with guns.
Until nobody has a gun, everybody should have a gun.
You live in the greatest country on the planet. Speak your mind but don’t blame the country because some nut does something you don’t like. You can’t change the fact that the world is full of crazy people. How many times did you whine about all the blacks killing each other every day? Never…Grow up
F**k Kapler and any other athlete that has never served their country! Only benefited from the ones that have. He better hope that some patriot that is armed defends his family if they find themselves in a bad situation. And the rest of u that blame a gun for these evil doings.
“I didn’t want to call attention to myself. I didn’t want to take away from the victims or their families. “
…and Yet You Did!
You’re a coward and a traitor. If you hate America get the fuck out. Go support the terrorist with blm from Canada you stupid, anti American traitor fuck.
GK, Thank you 🙏
Praying for an empty stadium…until you figure it out.
I disagree. Brave would be to take this position if it cost you something — especially if it cost you everything.
A millionaire sports manager who will be celebrated for your anti-American opinions, not lose your job or prospects, or lose a cent … nothing brave about that.
Don’t care what a second rate coach of a child’s game thinks. We have a Constitution that stands for us all. The Pledge of Allegiance is something that is said when you feel like it. He is a disgrace to the Country.
Really powerful piece, Kap. Thank you for speaking out
Thank you Gabe! You very eloquently put into words what I, and many others have been feeling. I have been so angry this week since this happened. I hate feeling this way, but more of us need to. May, just maybe if enough of us feel this way, and are willing to show how we feel, change will finally begin.
#ISTANDWITHKAP
How about “I kneel with Kap”?
fraudulent narrative blown completely out of proportion. blm responsible for multiple DEATHS and businesses RUINED and people beat up and police precincts burnt to the ground. other than that…………a peaceful organization. if you are SO concerned with guns and shootings then go to chicago and baltimore and philly and new york and la and st louis. get the hand guns off the street. and quit being scared to put black people in jail. if they are killing people with illegal hand guns then they face a mandatory big sentence.
we kneel for the Place we have to protest.
we kneel for the people that gave their life, their arms, their legs for our right to protest.
we kneel for the idea and hope that is America.
so now everyone that has a complaint will kneel? yes, we have already started.
Thank you Gabe ❤️
Thank you for a well said depiction of this country. Politicians are a waste of tax payers dollars.
Well said Unfortunately, our country is managed by folks whose kids will never be shot in school
Very well written by someone who does care! The problem we face is within hours it became politicians pointing fingers including the president (allegedly). So I ask, now what?
Insightful, well thought out post. I know you want to do more but what you do, speaking up, is enough. You know how it is now, do one well meaning thing and people will find ten thousand things wrong with your gesture, and worse, accuse you of wanting to insert yourself into the issue. Everything is so muddled
and sometimes staying to the side is the best thing to do instead of being used as a distraction to detract from the real issues. We do what we can, in those kinds of moments. Thank you for your honesty Gabe, you’re a good man.
Thank you for being a voice of reason. You have a large pulpit, and I’m proud to be in your congregation.
You are demonstrating what you learned from your dad, in this post and in the way you move through the world. We don’t ever get only one chance at things, but no chances are identical. Different circumstances call for different responses. Protest must take many multiple forms. Trust your gut.
Need to get all your data before making generalizations. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/mass-shootings-by-country
Need to read your own article fully.
From your own source:
“ Using the median analysis, the United States is the only country examined that shows a propensity for mass shootings.”
You obviously don’t know how to read data:
1) uses mean vs median to skew the results
2) ignores fact that no other country besides US had more than 2 years out of 7 with a mass shooting. US has them every year
3) conveniently stops tracking data in 2015 before US mass shooting rates skyrocketed to where they are now
Perhaps you should’ve checked the sources that even the flawed study listed.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/united-states-lower-death-shootings/
US has 110 mass attack deaths in past 5 years, 0.3 per million people. Subest of Commonwealth countries, Canada, NZ, Aus, UK, have >80 mass attack deaths, 0.6 per million people.
“The pro-gun nonprofit Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC)” “2009-2015”
Painfully true.😞
You had me for a while. Then you said guns were used almost exclusively for the slaughter of human beings and then I realized you have no idea what you’re talking about and I stopped reading.
The line is “…a country that refuses to take up the concept of controlling the sale of weapons used nearly exclusively for the mass slaughter of human beings.” He is referring to the specific type of weapon that was used by the shooter at Uvalde, a high rate-of-fire semi-automatic rifle which uses high-capacity quick-change magazines. These types of guns are not used for hunting (or shouldn’t be, and I believe that it is illegal to do so in most, if not all, states) – they are not sporting guns; they are a slightly watered-down version of military weapons, weapons that are intended solely for the taking of human life.
SLamb
Maybe if you took a second to think you’d understand what he meant. But based on your comment- thinking obviously isn’t a strong suit. To enlighten you, he meant assault rifles. Which are used exclusively for the slaughter of human beings.
In other words, “I read something I disagreed with so I stopped reading to maintain my own narrative.”
There, fixed it for you.
Well, considering the United States is (in no particular order):
Occupying 1/3rd of Syria.
Funding Saudi air forces to bomb Yemen.
Reentered Somalia without Congressional approval.
Funded $40 billion of weapons to Ukraine to support their military with known neo-Nazis in them.
Yeah, our country uses guns to destroy and destabilize countries.
Who makes those decisions.
The crooked politicians that make more under the table than millions of taxpayers in this country.
And by the way,they are on both sides of the aisle.
Very well written Mr Kapler. You are definitely not alone in, not only how you feel, but how you are conflicted on how to show your displeasure with the direction of our country. You are not a coward – you just haven’t figured it out yet. When you do, we will stand with you and support you.
I will say that if you had kneeled, that move would have made me tap out on you completely. I wouldn’t have ever listened to what you had to say after that. By not doing that and choosing this option, here I am reading your thoughts with an open mind instead.
Why would you tap out? Kneeling is protest my friend.
Protesting gross misuse of power and injustices is what this country was founded on. There is literally nothing more American. King George would have loved to have you on his side I’m sure.
Kap, you’re so so right. Great words. our “leaders” have failed us again and again on this issue. Protest and vote. No more slaves to the Gun lobbies in congress. Vote progressive. Lets fix this issue.
The National Anthem has nothing to do with someone shooting kids. It is never ok to not stand during its playing
if i was one of those parents id probably never stand for it again until any change happens. you’re actually more upset about a piece of fabric than children being slaughtered weekly in this country. you’re dispicable
The National Anthem is in part about the flag and my advice to anyone in the word is to never pledge allegiance to a flag that has not pledged allegiance to you.
Until the US flag waves as a banner that guarantees shelter, health care, food, education and full body autonomy I will never salute it or honor it. (You wouldn’t want the government to mandate your must give a kidney to keep someone alive would you?)
We were all taught to pledge allegiance to the flag. Not enough of us were ever taught that the flag needs to earn that allegiance.
If you think the flag simply represents the lives given up by people so we could have freedom you are clearly looking at that one aspect of the flag in a vacuum. And that vacuum is a flawed vacuum. We weren’t fighting for freedom when we invaded Afghanistan, Vietnam, Iraq, et cetera.
We bombed civilians in Japan who were on the verge of surrender.
If you like to wave the flag around as a symbol of “might makes right” and it gives you the freedom to bully others then you can have that flag. I’ll find one that represents people who think that the most valuable thing on earth is each other. I try to treat people the way Jesus would treat them.
Good Luck finding that perfect flag.
It is literally always ok not to stand for an anthem with a melody based on a British drinking song that we also conveniently only sing 1 of the 4 verses for. The song isn’t something sacred. Go ahead and try to tread on our Freedom of Speech.
Thank you…
Another moronic leftist. Sorry, but no gun laws will stop someone who is willing to mass murder people. The only way to stop evil (leftists filled with hate, as this shooter was) is to protect our children with armed officers at every school.
Well said Gabe! This country is in a sad state. Guns are the problem, not mental illness!!
do you people really think constantly surrounding kids with armed guards like they’re in a prison will help their mental health and wellbeing?
So you’re seriously trying to argue that protecting kids from the bad guys will be bad for their “mental health and well-being”?!? My god, you libtards are insufferable…
The only people who are mentally ill are the ones who think that guns kill people on their own.
You’re so right. Gun bans have never solved anything.. except that one time in 1996 that Australia had the biggest mass shooting in history and decided to ban guns. No mass gun shootings since. So I take it back.. you’re wrong.
In 2020 guns became the leading cause of death in children and teenagers in the United States. America loves to be number 1 regardless of the category. Let’s arm every citizen and make it mandatory and see how much higher the death-by-gun rates can go.
Also Australia: Literal concentration camps last year because the populace was disarmed.
Also, the murder rate is the same, they just use knives now.
You’re a moron, Australia banned guns and rape and stabbings went through the roof . Please stfu if you dont know what youre talking about
“In 2020 guns became the leading cause of death in children and teenagers in the United States.” Lmao bitxh staap making up dumb statistics. Youre a fucking clown
If these magical “armed guards” are cut from the same cloth as the useless cops who stood around outside and getting physical with parents whose kids were in the building getting slaughtered, then no f-ing thanks.
If people want to play Rambo so bad, tell them to join the military. Civilians should never have access to weapons like an AR-15.
You and your hate spewing are despicable. Blaming it on a “leftist” teenager who probably had no political identity whatsoever. Making absurd claims with no evidence is the republican way.
David, you have shit for brains.
You’re angry you didn’t get a chance to molest those kids.
Typical liberal.
It’s a sad commentary on the state of our political system when two Bay Area coaches are willing to take a stand and point out the obvious and main reason that our children are being murdered. All we get from the NRA $ addicted politicians is that we need better doors.
I can’t wait for Gabe and Steve to speak out against the atrocities committed by Chinese Communist Party.
Absolutely
Well said. So sit or take a knee tonight.
Honest truth from the heart , reveal the pathetic state of gun law in state
So true. Texas has no gun laws. Meanwhile, here in California, we have very STRICT gun control laws. That’s why we never had a mass shooting like Texas. San Francisco has had no one shot and killed by guns because of the tight gun control laws that we want imposed on the rest of the country.
100 senators, running the whole US. Straight BS. Do what the people want!
Fuck everything else. I appreciate your courage. Thank you for respecting us all enough to tell us how you feel.
Well said, sir.