Joe Burrow Pushes for Gun Control Reform During Press Conference

The Bengals quarterback made his thoughts on the issue clear Tuesday.

Editor’s note: This story contains details of a mass casualty event and gun violence.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow called upon United States politicians to implement more stringent gun control policies in the wake of a recent string of mass shootings across the country.

When speaking to reporters Tuesday, Burrow was asked if he and his teammates had any conversations about the events of the past few weeks, following a shooting in late May at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. He responded by making his opinion on the issue of gun control clear.

“With everything that’s going on, if you’re not going to outlaw everything, you’ve gotta at least make it harder to get those crazy guns that everybody’s using,” Burrow said during a press conference. “I don’t think you should be able to just walk in there and buy one. You gotta be able to go through a rigorous process to buy something like that I think.

“So hopefully, the people that make those decisions figure that out. My job is to play football, but hopefully the politicians can figure that one out.”

Bengals QB Joe Burrow, on gun reform: “If you’re not going to outlaw everything, you’ve gotta at least make it harder to get those crazy guns that everybody’s using.” Here’s his full response, via @bengals: pic.twitter.com/xJo1dOWsBA

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) June 14, 2022

Burrow is the latest figure in sports to speak out following the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 21 people, including 19 children and two teachers. Giants manager Gabe Kapler, tennis star Andy Murray, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and numerous teams and franchises across the country all called for change to gun laws in the ensuing weeks. 

Among the most impassioned pleas came from Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who directly addressed members of Congress on multiple occasions ahead of the NBA Finals.

“I think my message is for people to remember that a vast majority of us Americans … want sensible gun laws,” Kerr said earlier this month on NBA Today. “It’s important to remember that because we’re a democracy. If we truly are a democracy, then we’re not being represented right now by the people in Washington because if so many of us want sensible gun laws to protect our children, to protect the elderly, to protect all of us and they’re not happening, you got to ask why.

“At some point, the will of the people has to win out.”

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