Falcons Coach Arthur Smith on Uvalde Shooting: 'Part of Me Thinks Our Political Process Is Broken'

The Falcons coach shares his thoughts.

Jeremy Brener | May 29, 2022

People across the world are still processing the events that took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday that killed 19 students and two teachers -- the second-deadliest school shooting in American history after the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.

Arthur Smith

Since the shooting, the shock of the events has led to a lot of political debate around the country and the world in regards to gun laws, police training and mental health practices.

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith shared his thoughts in a statement on Friday.

“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. 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.”

Arthur Smith

In response to the school shooting, Falcons owner Arthur Blank donated $100,000 each on behalf of his organization, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, to Sandy Hook Promise and The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention.

Published May 29, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.