Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr mocked the National Rifle Association (NRA) Friday via Twitter , following the group’s warning that it faces financial trouble.
Kerr’s comments are, as The Hill notes, a nod at comments made by some lawmakers, who had offered “thoughts and prayers” after mass shootings, instead of introducing gun control measures, which is something critics – especially those on the left of the political spectrum – have publicly condemned.
As CNN reported, the phrase “thoughts and prayers” went “from a common condolence to a cynical meme,” having been repeated so often that it had lost its meaning.
“The devolution of ‘thoughts and prayers’-like sentiment has been years in the making. The further it’s embedded in our post-tragedy lexicon, the more it’s mocked as a form of civilian slacktivism, and more recently as a form of political obfuscation.”
Steve Kerr seems to agree with CNN since he tweeted that “thoughts and prayers should suffice,” to get the NRA out of financial trouble. Kerr’s comments come after Rolling Stone obtained and published a legal filing by the powerful gun group, in which it warns of being in financial jeopardy.
The National Rifle Association wrote that it could soon “be unable to exist… or pursue its advocacy mission.” According to the filing, the reason for this lies in the fact that the association has been subject to a state-led “blacklisting campaign.”
This is not the first time for Steve Kerr to publicly criticize the NRA. In February this year, following the Parkland shooting, the Golden State Warriors coach slammed the organization at a post-match press conference stating, according to The Nation , that Americans should vote for people “who actually have the courage to protect people’s lives and not just bow down to the NRA because they’ve financed their campaign for them.”
Don’t send money……thoughts and prayers should suffice. https://t.co/uYIWvgK8CD
— Steve Kerr (@SteveKerr) August 4, 2018
In May this year, as The Guardian reported, president Donald Trump spoke at an NRA event, vowing to protect the second amendment, after stating that Americans’ second amendment rights had been “under siege.” These comments came after the POTUS reiterated his support for arming teachers, while vice president Mike Pence accused the media of distorting the gun debate.
According to a Washington Post analysis published in March, the National Rifle Association’s lobbying efforts are not limited to the United States. The association has, over the years, managed to expand its influence abroad, “shaping the international conversation on guns,” and actively funding lobbies across the world.
