Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr on why he became a vocal gun control advocate

Geoff Bennett:

Finally, tonight following the massacre in Uvalde, Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr used the playoffs press conference this past week to speak out against gun violence in America.

Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors Coach:

We've had elderly black people killed in a supermarket in Buffalo. We've had Asian churchgoers killed in Southern California, and now we have children murdered at school. When are we going to do something?

Geoff Bennett:

Last year Kelly Corrigan, host of PBS is Telling Me More sat down with her to talk about what's behind his passion for this issue, and what he thinks political leaders should be doing about it.

Kelly Corrigan:

Tell me about your dad.

Steve Kerr:

Oh, man. It's kind of hard for me to talk about still.

Man:

Malcolm Kerr, president of the American University of Beirut, was murdered at close range outside his campus office by two men with a silencer equipped pistol.

Steve Kerr:

He was a wonderful man. Quiet, very funny, great way with people. He was just an amazing dad who was there for all four of us.

Kelly Corrigan:

Why do you think they assassinated him?

Steve Kerr:

He was the most prominent American in Beirut at that time, and it was the early part of terrorism on against Americans in the Middle East. So remember, the Iran hostage situation was 1979. The worst incident was the bombing of the Marine barracks. I think 300 Marines were killed in this huge truck bomb in Beirut.

My dad, I remember he was in his office, which was, you know, on campus five miles away six miles away. And he said he heard this enormous blast and felt the impact of five miles away, and the embassy cleared out. But the university was still functioning.

So my dad became one of the most prominent Americans remaining. And so he became a target. I think he took that job when I was 16. When you're 16 your dad's not going to die, you know, your mom's not going to die, like everything's going to be fine. And if you've lived a life like, like I did, where perfect upbringing, wonderful family and got everything you need. Nothing's going to happen to you. That happens to other people, you know. And so looking back I sometimes I think I wish I had been a little wiser in terms of maybe bringing all that stuff up.

Kelly Corrigan:

In that year, the 73-year, the bad back here. Shortly after the season, there was a shooter who went to UCLA, it's like half a mile from your mom. And then shortly after that, the Pulse shooting happened. And you made a big statement. Do you remember it?

Steve Kerr:

Yes. And the reason I made it is because we had done probably three moments of silence during that season was like every couple of weeks, were just, you know, let's take a bow and stay silent and not actually try to solve the problem.

And so I just felt like, you know, I do have a platform, I should probably say something and I've been an advocate ever since. Because my dad died that way. And because it's such an enormous problem in our country. That's become my sort of pet project.

Kelly Corrigan:

Do you have hope that there'll be new legislation that–

Steve Kerr:

I do have hope mainly because of the March for Our Lives kids. There's so many young people now who are so angry and invested.

What makes me lose hope is just that it's a constant deal with the Senate where, you know, the House passes HRA, which is, you know, background checks, bill that I would 90 percent of Americans want background checks, regardless if you're Democrat or Republican. 90 percent.

Kelly Corrigan:

People in the NRA want that.

Steve Kerr:

Yes, yes. But the Senate will not go down that path. They won't even look at the bill because of partisan politics. And, you know, they put their own private career ahead of the lives of American people.