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.
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/
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
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”
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Juan G. Ledo says
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.
Thank you Gabe. Miss you here in Philly, I applaud your courage.
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
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?
Ahri (@blossomEtheria) says
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.
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.
John Schobert says
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.
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.
Well said. So sit or take a knee tonight.
Honest truth from the heart , reveal the pathetic state of gun law in state
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.
I’m Canadian; but I say if you want to protest then go ahead; it’s called standing up for what’s right and for the people who have a problem protesting with people standing up for what’s right then that’s their problem not the problem of those who chose to stand up for what’s right. Hopefully the more people who stand up for what’s right that will get politicans to fix things or better yet these people will become politicans and then hopefully they solve some of these issues by banning the sale of guns period and whatever else they need to do. So thank you for writing what I’m sure so many people wanted to say but weren’t comfortable saying; it’s time to elect people who actually do what’s right and walk the walk and actually fix problems and not just do what the curent ones do. It starts with voters, it’s time for change.
lol
The fact that you’re writing about it NOW to please redditors and twitter morons is all I needed to see.
Well articulated, as your posts have always been. A true patriot. Freedom includes the freedom to protest and speak up when things are not as they should be.
I applaud and commend you for speaking up and as a teacher I thank you. Now, what do we do next to make sure this doesn’t happen again? You are in a position of power where you can make a difference. Your organization can make a difference. I bet of you……….put your thoughts into action that WILL make a difference for our country. Thank you for having the courage to speak up……….just keep it up now. We need CHANGE and people like you CAN make a difference. Again, thank you…….your words mean a lot to me!
First off, you write very well and eloquently, and your heart shines through your article, showing that you are a good man who cares about human suffering and wants to alleviate it, and for that I applaud you. The only way we could have a chance to end mass shootings would be to get rid of almost all guns, even handguns can fire dozens of shots. People who say we could do it any other way are lying to you and making it seem more simple than it is.
I am an American who refuses to buy into a solution that would put civilians into a situation where we are at the mercy of a government whose personnel are the only people in society with weapons. How can someone on the left talk about police brutality and at the same time advocate getting rid of all guns except for the guns the cops have? The rise of tyranny is always a possibility in any society, whether your is fascism or communism or nazism, we should always be aware of the precarious state of freedom. At the end of the day, a capacity for resistance to crushing authoritarianism is crucially linked to a capacity for the populace to engage in violent resistance against the government.
There are measures we can take to protect our schools. If we can pass a bill giving $50 billion to Ukraine, we can pass a bill putting armed guards in all public schools, and I don’t mean like 2 or 3 guards, I mean 15. We could do that. We could protect our children the way we protect other government buildings like airports, in a way that is much more practical than getting rid of all of the 393 million guns in the United States.
Dude. You want to know how ludicrous you sound? The US military is more powerful than God. If your puny AR-15s are your security blanket against “tyranny” then you are delusional. The US military have weapons we can’t even imagine. You will be snuffed out in a second. No amount of consumer guns and ammo are going to protect you against a futuristic force that spends more money on weapons than all other countries COMBINED. Stop with the 18th century LARPER crap. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/justice-burger-2nd-amendment-meme/
I spy a talking point! The Uvalde SD had a secuirty budget of $435K in 2022, and they used it. Didn’t help one single bit.
So many lies in this by king liberal clown himself. A disgrace. Just lie Kerr, who advocated for the defunding of police and removal of SROs from schools. Always jumping to conclusions before actual thinking and waiting for all the facts to come out. But you are just a baseball guy who wants to look tough with fake tanner and tats but is charmin soft. You offer no solutions that would make any difference and then make outrageous claims that are easily debunked. Keep making a fool of yourself along with Kerr. Must be a bay area thing….Definitely is, reason why I moved as far away as possible.
American exceptionalism - the only thing you guys excel at ignorance, cruelty, racism, and violence. You should be embarrassed constantly. In Canada we use you guys as a “At least we’re not America!” as an excuse to not be better and lower our own standards and justify our own shittiness, so if you could shape up and stop being a broken nation that’d help us out too.
Full disclosure, I’m a law enforcement officer so I know I’m going to face multiple insults and disrespectful/hateful comments. There is a reason the officers on scene would not want parents of the children to run into an active shooter situation. Simply put you would be enabling more people to become victims. As far as that mother who was placed in handcuffs I’m fairly certain it was done to prevent her from becoming another victim. NOW having said all that, I would request people wait until all the information is in and an investigation is complete before passing judgement on the actions of the officers who responded. Mr. Kapler asserts that a father’s daughter was killed while he argued with cops. Was Mr. Kapler on scene during this incident. Was he at the school? Was he a witness to anything at the scene? It’s uncorroborated claims like that which only inflame the situation and make people distrust those in professional sports and entertainment when they decide to make statements about tragic incidents. If an investigation reveals the officers did not fullfil their sworn duty HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. But from personal experience working in this line of work for nearly 20 years I suspect those officers were chomping at the bit to run into that school to help those children. They know it’s their duty and it’s what they signed up for. In the meantime I would hope those with a public platform, such as Gabe Kapler, would wait for all the facts to come out before questioning the bravely of those officers who responded to the scene.
Not the weekend to disrespect our nation or flag. Pretty disrespectful Gabe. Move out then. How much $ have you made playing a game. Sorry, Memorial Day has lost it’s meaning.
You are an absolute coward, and a liar..
First off, the United States isn’t even in the top 10 in the world for mass shootings. Stop listening to CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle. They lie
Second, until you demand that the police and security that guard Oracle disarm? You’re nothing but a hypocrite.
A few years ago you were crying that the police were too brutal. And now you’re a crying that the citizens have guns and can protect themselves. Which is it? Do good people have the right to defend themselves against the police force that you say is out of control?
So not only are you a coward and a liar, you’re not very smart.
Grow up
Thank you Gabe, Any of these fools that don’t get what you said are just ignorant pieces of crap.. They don’t get it because they don’t have a heart they care more about guns than children. Probably trump fans.. I feel sorry for their hearts. If any of them would have had a child murdered, they would have understood but because they l they don’t know what it’s like to walk in the footsteps of these poor parents, they are too ignorant to know the truth. There is nothing you can write or say that would get them to understand because it’s not possible with their cold hearts. All they will do is just read what is written and argue because there’s nothing you could say to get them to understand the truth.Again I really appreciate your honesty And bravery bro.
Trump has nothing to do with it Dumb ass stop you Dummycrat self
The typical Alinsky tactic: Try to dehumanize anybody who disagrees with you.
I see you.
God I miss Botchy!!!
Thank you, Kap. Glad you’re managing the Giants
Thank you Gabe!
Well put, Gabe. I couldn’t agree more, thank you for using your platform to initiate real change.
Wow, look at the trolls.
Gabe, speaking as one lefty Jew to another, I have to applaud not just taking a stand but doing so knowing you are going to be at the receiving end of a lot of crap. The antisemites are on their way right now, but I am sure you know this, and you clearly are not flinching. Good for you. Good for all of us who share your anger.
Not a single person here’s been anti-Semitic. Way to bring race, or religion into something that has nothing to do with it. Grow the fuck up dumbass
Mr Kapler. I would like make a comment on your statement that you chose not to kneel during the National Anthem so as to not show disrespect to our military and veterans. I also hold our active military and veterans in the highest regard. However you are mistaken in giving ownership of our National Anthem to our military. One of the aspects that makes our military the treasure that it is is that they serve at the behest of and for the people of this country. We, ALL OF US, own the National Anthem. It must represent ALL OF US or it represents none of us. This is also true of our flag. Both are symbols of this country which means of it’s people. While our military displays our flag as part of their uniform, and are invited to participate in ceremonial presentation of the National Anthem, they do so in their role as protectors of this country, not as owners.
Those who live in authoritarian countries do so in fear their military.
Our military is great because they serve us rather than own us.
Great words and reflect what the majority of the American people believe. Unfortunately our “leaders” do not represent us.
We have the government we deserve, so we need to speak up.
If you think “the majority” want the 2nd Amendment repealed, you live in an echo chamber.
Gabe, Dodger fan here. Thank you for your moral clarity and leadership. You beautifully articulate what many of us are feeling. Thank you for standing up and by your brave example, we are encouraged to do so as well!
Brave words, Gabe. But think about this. If the framers of the Constitution 250 years ago who wrote the Second Amendment could have foreseen the future, do you really think they wouldn’t have said, whoa, wait a minutes. Yes, we want people to have the right to bear arms as a militia against an attack on our democracy, or for hunting, or target shooting. But to openly carry firearms without a permit like in Texas? Or long, military style guns that can fire hundreds of rounds a minute? Or guns you can buy on the Internet and assemble at home? Remember, the framers were familiar with single-shot muskets and pistols. And sure, they could not foresee the future. But if they could have, you can bet the Second Amendment would read differently and help insure the lives of innocent Americans. After all, the theme of the Declaration of Independence is “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the three unalienable rights taken from the lives of 21 people in Texas, 19 of them children. We need a Constitutional Convention and will never get one. But the Second Amendment, more than any other, has to be brought to modern standards and no longer tied to 250-year old language.
The purpose of the second amendment has never been for any of the things that you mentioned. It has always been to protect the people from the government. It’s the whole purpose of the constitution in general. You need to read more
You are correct - the Constitution is written to protect the citizens of our country from the government. And the Second Amendment gives the citizens the right to bear arms. The key words are, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” So were the killers in Texas, or Newtown, or Las Vegas members of a “well regulated militia?” And were the people they murdered part of the government? We change and update laws all the time - it’s one of the great features of our democracy. And no one is trying to take away guns, despite what the right and NRA claim. We just want some controls, like universal background checks that the MAJORITY of Americans want - like 80%!. And prohibition of ghost guns, which are unregulated with no serial numbers or registration. Someone please tell me how these violate the Second Amendment?
Typical progressive response: A do-nothing gesture to signal how super serial you are, and then a rant about a symptom and not the root of the disease.
I know career ballplayers aren’t exactly scholarly, but a brief history lesson: The guns have ALWAYS existed. Hell, our parents and grandparents routinely took guns with them to school, because they would go hunting after school. It’s true. As a Gen X, you understand full well that when we were kids, guns weren’t even secured - they were just laying around in nightstand drawers or garages or up in a shoebox in the closet.
And yet these shootings were never a widespread problem until the Millennials and Gen Z. So if the access to the guns has remained constant, but the rate of instance has gone up dramatically - logically, the guns aren’t the problem.
So what’s changed? Well, we closed down the sanitariums in the 80’s, so mentally ill people no longer get the help they need or are put in inpatient care when they’re dangerous. Further, there’s been a movement by your fellow progressives to claim that mental illness is a badge of courage and not something that needs to be treated, for fear of “stigmatizing” it. The nuclear family has been demolished - fact: 80% of mass shooters didn’t have a father present in the home. And how many of the remaining 20% do you think weren’t actively involved in their childrens’ lives? My guess is the lion’s share. Also, we teach kids no coping mechanisms for failure or losing, we dont’ teach them how to handle rejection, and we sure as heck don’t teach them proper morals or values anymore (and I don’t mean religious values, I just mean “respect your fellow human” values, unless that human claims to be a member of a “traditionally oppressed class”). Oh, and now we’re pumping them full of pharmaceuticals and encouraging genital mutilation by telling them all that they’re in the wrong bodies.
So, logically, the guns can’t be the problem. The problem is how we’re raising our kids. The problem is we’re conducting endless scientific experiments on our kids and then acting surprised when it turns out 15+ years of head games makes them snap.
You can’t logic to lefties, sadly, because they don’t think, they only feel. Logic requires one to confront their bias and evaluate a topic rationally. This inevitably introduces cognitive dissonance, and cognitive dissonance feels bad, so the feelers just learn not to think. Same people who think that inequity has to result from unequal treatment and that wearing a dress can make you a woman. I hope some readers have the intelligence and integrity to honestly evaluate what you’ve written, and the seeds of truth can have a chance to take root.
I wouldn’t consider posting videos of yourself shooting guns and family photos with the kids holding machine guns in political ads a logical or rational approach. Simple knee-jerk politics by the right to get votes. Is that not “feeling” over “thinking” by the “righties” as well?
I wonder about the excessive use of antipsychotics and SSRIs - on the Mother Jones database of mass shootings, 65% are shown as “Yes” for known mental illness and the other 35% are “not known” not “NO”.
Most of those, including most of the notorious ones like UT tower, Luby’s, VA Tech, were known to have recently started psychoactive drugs, and many of the drugs have specific FDA warnings for homicidal and suicidal ideation.
All of these started after UT, that shooter was known to be on Valium and talked about voices in his head after starting. Valium was new to the market then and literally there was only one US mass shooting before that, that first psychoactive drug. BTW the Vegas shooter was also on the same drug.
I wonder if man does not have the same natural potential for evil that these events indicate, but this is all one in ten million side effects from these drugs. Hard to tell, though.
Bless you, Gabe. You have the full support of the majority of Americans, as well you should.
hardly.
*majority of San Franciscans; that doesn’t represent America at all.
“You have the full support of the majority of Americans, as well you should.”
No he doesn’t.
A thousand times, thank you.
Democrats commit over 50% of the violent crimes, so the obvious answer is to ban Democrats!!!
Wood chippers for all of you!!!
Very “brave” to not participate in the national anthem during the holiday where we honor our service members. If you are so “fed up” why don’t you direct some of your multi million dollar contract to the victims families instead of blowing hot blog air? Or do them both, but most importantly take real, tangible action. Your “protest” is in cowardice because it’s for the optics; it doesn’t resemble real action. It is your right to protest - respectfully I think this is just for the optics. Look at Gabe Kapler, what a “hero”. You sir, are a part of the problem - a stroking of the emotional feel goods, with nothing real behind it. Intelligent folks know this is just another “look at me” moment. You will be done with this in a week and nothing will have changed, but ESPN and the liberal media will gobble it up as a class act, when you haven’t done anything to change the state of affairs. In short, this is weak. This is not doing something, this is doing nothing.
Gabe will take a knee so he can suck some dudes off. Dude is totally h0m0 like Obama!!!!
You poor little man
Thank you, Gabe, for your eloquence, as well as your admission that making a statement is difficult. To say that you can’t stand by the anthem during this difficult time shows me that you know the anthem should mean something real, rather than inducing robotic behavior from those listening. Your principled stance shows me that you believe in this country. Everyone, regardless of their position, should be grateful to you for your thoughtfulness and true patriotism.
100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, and 400 shotguns;
Over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds; That is what the US recently sent to Ukraine. That is why we have the right to bear arms. To protect ourselves from unwelcome intruders and bad actors in our government.
Thank you for having the balls the GOP and gun lobby don’t have.
How’s Chicago doing? Or other large democrat-led cities with high crime rates? That’s the GOPs “fault” in your eyes too, right?
You are a leader of men and don’t stand for the national anthem? Wow
Our anthem is a moment of unity, whether you agree with any particular government policy or not. It is not about you or your politics. It is about us, in good times and in bad. Inserting your politics into that moment is not only a bad look and wrongheaded, it will not convince a single person who you need to convince that you’re right about anything. It will only further divide us. Think about that before you put yourself in the spotlight.
One of the great things about our country is that we all can have an opinion and disagree about politics, and we don’t have to be right about everything. We don’t all get our way, either. No sane person, regardless of political party, isn’t heartbroken about the murder of innocents by a madman that happened this week. Acting, however, that you have all the answers and that those who disagree must be responsible for their deaths is just plain dumb, childish, insulting and counterproductive. But maybe virtue signaling is the point.
Kerr/Kapler 2024
Parents, church, friends, schools, law enforcement, etc., let this kid down. American let this kid down. How about Jr Giant for that kid? Is the Giant’s going to start a Jr Giants in Texas?
Bet you had 0 problem coming out of the dugout during the riots ot 2016 2020 and when clinton was killin babies at Waco though right lefty. You Sir are a joke and the reason people are leaving sports in DROVES as fans. Also guess you don’t mine the country under the left killing 1,000, 000 babies a year in the US alone either eh? So you only have issue with older kids being murdered not infants per se? LOL what a tool
You should continue to pay respect to the national anthem. It’s show respect to the veterans that died for this country. You make a lot of money. You are the 1%. I understand your frustration. Maybe you can start a nonprofit or a group to stop the sales of guns. But doing this stunt will only divide us more.
Well said Mr. Kap. Keep leading!
Thank you. Thank you.
People like you, sir, are the very reason so many of us in the heartlands flock to minor league baseball and give a good fisting to the folk of MLB. We’re sick of your preening judgement. Where were you when blm was rioting in the streets and killing people? Did you take a knee? I think not.
You not taking the field is cowardly. Beat feet outta here idiot.
Thanks for trying to lead change. However, not participating in the anthem will make no change but upset people. How about spend a week in DC and get in front of every congress man or woman or US Senator you can and talk some sense into them!! Use your voice and connections. Bring Buster or the Giants owner with you! Make a positive difference.
Thank you for eloquently writing what a lot of us are feeling. I never cared for you when you were managing my hometown Phillies but I have a newfound respect for you after reading this. Keep writing/speaking on this. You’re definitely not alone.
Thank you, Gabe.
HERE WE GO AGAIN, NOT TAKING THE FIELD FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. THEN WHY DON’T YOU QUIT YOUR HIGH PAID JOB FOR A GAME PLAYED BY LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS AND DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE ABOUT IT! WHY DON’T YOU SPEND YOUR TIME ON COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN “GUN CONTROL.” A GUN DIDN’T GO INTO THAT SCHOOL ON IT’S OWN THOUGHTS AND PULL IT’S OWN TRIGGER! SUGGEST ALL YOU WANT, BUT IT’S THE POLITICIANS IN THE END WHO CONTROL THINGS AND WHY SHOULD THEY LISTEN TO A BASEBALL PLAYER? QUIT YOUR COACHING J0B AND GO LEARN TO BE A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. THAT WOULD BE A GOOD START!
Take a look where most gun violence happens and you’ll find it’s not in conservative areas. Just ask Chicago.
more control over law-abiding citizens won’t make much difference against the criminal element.
But you don’t understand that. All the left does is politicize this stuff. The media feeds the frenzy by the insane coverage for the attention getters and the finger-pointing trying to blame conservatives.
Why stop there, Gabe? After a win, how can you gleefully play slap ass on the field with your buddies like everything is fine and dandy? After the final out, you should be headed deep into the bowels of Oracle to plot the repeal of the 2nd amendment. Honestly, how can you waste 3 hours a night watching middle-aged men play a children’s game poorly, when you could instead be using that time to organize gun buy backs, which you would later feed into an industrial shredder? Unless you quit your job immediately, sell all your worldly possessions, say goodbye to your wife and family, and devote yourself to the destruction of the NRA and every gun manufacturer on Earth, I consider you to be no better than Charlton Heston.
Thank you for your words. Narrow minds will never change but perhaps you words and actions may make inroads for some and cause change in the hearts of others.
After what’s going on in San Francisco - Really who cares what Gabe Kabler thinks - What A Hypocrite
Why hasn’t he already done something for that city.
Because working towards real solutions wouldn’t get him on click-bait news articles. Easier to kneel and bow down to liberalism.
Thank you, Gabe. I join you in frustration and sadness and I applaud you for going beyond the role that is expected of you and using your voice and conscience to at least express your personal anguish over the state of our country. So many of us feel it, too. Things are awful right now, and a good chunk of the comments here make me feel even worse about our country and its people.
Kneeling for the flag. Now that will sure solve everything. Liberals never let facts get in the way of protest.
We’ll it got your attention. So, proud conservative American, what’s your take on kids getting shot in school?
While sitting out the National Anthem is your right, if you want to really make a statement, donate some serious $$ to everytown.org or one of the other solid gun legislation organizations. Or to help the families of Uvalde. That would be making a difference.
I also wanted to say, as a writer and editor, that your blog is exceptionally well-written. I have Tweeted and sent links to it on Facebook, to do what little I can to call attention to your important words.
As a long-time Brewers fan, I am appreciative of every single Brewers former player.
I am even more appreciative of you today. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
The Pledge of Allegiance is different than The National Anthem Skipper. You are showing disrespect to the Veterans who died fighting for your freedom, allowing you to choose to sit as a child during the pledge of allegiance. Timing is everything, and this Memorial Day Weekend is poor timing to become political!
MLB and “Kap” don’t care about vets. It is all a show. Just buy the cool hats and jerseys and they will be happy.
This guy’s backed vets, plenty. Why aren’t you backing a fellow American who just wants kids to stop getting shot in school, or at supermarkets? What’s political about that?!
American vets would be embarrassed by what Americans are doing here at home. You have no right to assault rifles period, ever. stop.
You’re a good man, Kap. Thanks for making me stop and think.
Must be hard to do for a liberal.
You mean as opposed to the “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” crowd? Guess it’s hard for everybody to stop and think.
I agree with your sentiment. You’re saying out loud what I’ve known to be true for many years, if not most of my life. Keep the faith and stay true to what you believe.
Thank you for your honesty. You are so right. These weapons are used to kill many in a short amount of time. Allowing these weapons to be sold, without background checks, and in Texas to teenagers, what to expect to happen. And the unthinkable does happen to our more innocent.
Gay.
Mr. Kapler you are wrong when you say that here is the ONLY country where mass shootings occur. The 5 deadliest mass shootings occurred outside of the U.S.
Hello Gabe,
Thank you for your powerful, moving message that gave voice to and articulated how many Americans feel about the failure of political leadership to enact gun control regulations (age limits on weapons purchases, ammo magazine limits) and universal background checks that would begin to reign in the deadly and irresponsible acquisition and use of guns in our country. When I was 21 circa 1976 and working my way through college at my dad’s liquor store in Fremont, I was held up by a gunman who stuck a pistol on my chest and told me “Give me all the money. I’m not fucking around.” I gave him the dough and he ran out of the shop, thankfully with no shots fired. He was caught two weeks later in the midst of another robbery and I ended up testifying against him, though once I completed my testimony I never did follow up to find out what happened to him. I always had a healthy concern about guns and the damage they can do to people but it was probably more a feeling of fear of guns after I got held up, which I have to this day. And living in Littleton, Colo. and having a young son who just finished his freshman year at Columbine High School, you can imagine the danger of guns and school shootings are always on my mind. I’m hopeful, as you mentioned in your blog, that the majority of Americans in support of gun safety regulations will finally force the hand of political leaders in thrall to the gun lobby, NRA and wealthy donors. I think you using your very public platform to call attention to the issue also will help and perhaps push those who have remained silent to speak up as well. And I thank you for that. Sincerely, Dennis Georgatos. P.S. I am also hopeful that Giants majority owner Charles Johnson sees what you have written and begins to take it to heart rather than to keep bankrolling politicians like U.S. Rep Lauren Boebert and Senate candidate Herschel Walker who essentially believe gun rights is at the pinnacle of our Constitutional rights and everything else is secondary, including our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It wasn’t an “assault rifle,” but you are a “progressive.” You lie about everything; it’s what you and your kind do. Oh, and being a “progressive,” you are all for abortion up to the day of birth. Your posing about the lives of children is phony. When it comes to kids, you want them aborted unless you can use them as props in your sick political game.
Black Lives Matter? Not to you, rich guy. In any given year, according to the CDC’s cause of death data, for every non-Hispanic white male shot dead, 15 to 17 black males are shot dead. You couldn’t possibly care less about black people. You are rich, and have turned your back.
Go to hell, phony
hiding in the dugout and continuing to cash the checks won’t change a damn thing Gabe. you’re getting paid to teach your team how to hit, pitch and catch the ball. we don’t give a damn about your views on gun control.
I’ve lived in SF for 25 years after growing up in Chicago but found no reason to switch allegiances from the Cubs (and Bulls). But after reading your post, and after hearing Steve Kerr’s comments, I now have a reason to trade in my hats (no disrespect to the Cubs and Bulls of course). Thank you Kap! We need to hear your sentiments from as many people as possible.
Gabe, thank you for your thought… I didn’t read any of the above, but thank you.
Dude if you hate this country so much then give away all the money you made here and gtfo. It’s so easy for someone with endless amounts of money to bitch and moan about something they think is a problem while doing nothing but writing some dumbass blog post. Run for office you douche.