A lot of teams and athletes have spoken out following the recent shooting in Texas that claimed 19 children and several teachers. But one head coach is going viral for his thoughts on the matter.
In a statement released on Thursday, Smith said that while he wants to avoid getting into a political discussion, he made it clear that action needs to be taken. Specifically, he said there needs to be a “compromise solution that will keep military grade assault weapons out of the hands of mentally ill people.”
“I’m not going to get into some political rant. Part of me thinks our political process is broken. On both sides. It has been hijacked, in my opinion, by extremists,” Smith said.
“I think there is a lost art to compromise. I’m an independent thinker, appreciate everyone’s opinion. There’s a lost art to debate, but I’m going to stay out of the political debate because that’s now why I’m concerned. It’s more as a parent, father, husband, son… a concerned citizen. I believe in the people of this county, and I think it’s a shame the leaders, and I don’t care about your politics, that you can’t find a compromise solution to keep military grade assault weapons out of the hands of mentally ill people.”
But if Arthur Smith was hoping to make a statement that everyone would agree to, he didn’t make it here. The comments are filled with people pointing out flaws in his way of thinking.
Whether Smith wants it to or not, guns and gun control are a political issue. A “compromise solution that will keep military grade assault weapons out of the hands of mentally ill people” is an idea that will most likely be politically stillborn.
If action wasn’t taken after Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland or any of the dozens of other mass school shootings that have taken place in the last 20-plus years, there is absolutely no reason to believe it will happen now.
Ultimately, Arthur Smith will move on from this shooting without anything of substance happening.
And then the next one will happen and we’ll repeat the cycle.