Tonight, the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays began a 4-game series at Tropicana Field. Business as usual, right?
Not entirely.
In the wake of the Robb Elementary massacre in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, both teams opted to use their Twitter pages to inform fans about gun violence and how to stop it.
Following is a preliminary post from the Yankees:
The Rays' message was right to the point:
All that's needed now is for everyone else in MLB, as well as the NHL, NBA, WNBA, etc., to join the party. Rays pitcher Brooks Raley is from Uvalde, so the shootings hit home.
Grammy & Oscar winner and Texas native Jamie Foxx ("Spider-Man: No Way Home") shredded politicians such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott for not doing enough to try to stop the violence. Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey called for everyone to be and do better. As we noted Wednesday, Republicans are beholden to gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association, whose chief spokesman, Wayne LaPierre, stuck his foot in his mouth, as usual.
The NRA is hosting an event this weekend that has lost guests such as Texas Rep. Dan "Cyclops" Crenshaw and singers Don McLean and Larry Gatlin due to the shootings. Unfortunately, Cruz, among the biggest beneficiaries of the NRA's donations, and former president Donald Trump are still scheduled, with guns banned for obvious reasons. If the NRA had any common sense, the convention, scheduled for Houston, would be cancelled. How so many people can have their heads in the sand on this issue is ridiculous. Cruz walked away from a Sky News interview because he was offended by a line of questioning, and knew he'd get skewered online yet again.
The violence needs to end. To get there, this has to happen:
Parents and school administrators need to take a closer look at at-risk youths who may or may not be in need of help to prevent future shootings. If these kids have themselves been bullied or disrespected, it goes a long way toward explaining a lot of the shootings.
Restricting use of social media at school is big. Today's kids are more interested in social media, looking for likes and approval. Leave the smartphones at home.
The minimum age for purchasing guns should be raised, from 18 to 21. Personally, I think it should be over 21. Unfortunately, the GOPers will not allow this to happen because of the contributions they get from the NRA and like organizations. Time to put the money and self-interest aside, before someone else gets hurt.
The 2nd Amendment is what a lot of them hide behind, but do a lot of today's politicos, such as Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Lauren Boebert, know what it really means? I doubt it. To them, it's just a buzzword.
Matthew McConaughey is right. We have to be better, and do better.
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