Gun Violence in USA: NY Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays take to social media to raise awareness

The twin massacres at Uvalde and Buffalo have set forth a massive outpouring of grief and introspection. Although recurring incidents of gun violence have plagued American society, numerous attempts to enforce stricter gun laws were thwarted by vested interests.

Also Read: Anatomy of hate: Why Buffalo killings signal a great American malaise

Given the stalemate in political circles, many leading figures and institutions across the board have taken to public forums to speak out against gun violence. In the world of sports, Golden State Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr was most vocal. Addressing a pre-match press conference before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Dallas Mavericks, the once Chicago Bulls’ point-guard was visibly upset, demanding action and initiative from those in the Senate.

Also Read: Sandy Hook to Uvalde: On gun laws, the US cannot come together

Joining the chorus of voices, Tamba Bay Rays and New York Yankees’ social media team deviated from tradition, choosing instead to tackle a far graver issue. During Thursday night’s encounter, the two teams took to Twitter to raise awareness of how gun violence cripples Americans up and down the country. Usually, social media accounts live report match updates or indulge in witticisms. However, the circumstances demanded that the match take a second stage. 

Also Read: What is the Charleston loophole in US gun laws?

In a statement released on Twitter, the Yankees said that incidents of gun violence were “intolerable'”:

“In lieu of game coverage and in collaboration with the Tampa Bay Rays, we will be using our channels to offer facts about the impacts of gun violence. The devastating events that have taken place in Uvalde, Buffalo and countless other communities across our nation are tragedies that are intolerable.”

Tampa Bay followed suit, insisting that such incidents “cannot become normal”:

“We all deserve to be safe – in schools, grocery stores, places of worship, our neighborhoods, houses and America. The most recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde have shaken us to the core. The Tampa Bay Rays are mourning these heartbreaking tragedies that took the lives of innocent children and adults. This cannot become normal. We cannot become numb. We cannot look the other way. We all know, if nothing changes, nothing changes.”

Aside from posting their line-ups, the remaining tweets were a sequence of gun-violence related statistics, citing official government sources. Some of the tweets are as follows: