The Kansas City Super Bowl Parade Shooting

I wanted to start the show today talking about a parade. A “victory” parade. Basically the single most joyous and exuberant public group activity there is. Or at least it’s supposed to be the single most joyous and exuberant public group activity there is.

But unfortunately, in our society now, nowhere is safe. Particularly in this country, nowhere is safe. There is nowhere to let your guard down and just live in a moment of pure joy. There is no way to have a carefree celebration of something that in the end, is really not that serious.  

If there ever was a reminder that there are much more important things than football, it was yesterday. Which is why I can’t just sit here and talk about a football party without leading with and spending time on the tragedy that went down at the world’s biggest football party.

So, quite obviously, my thoughts are with the woman who was fatally shot near Union Station in Kansas City yesterday. And her family. And loved ones. And with the 21 others who were injured and are recovering. And their families... 21 others, which included children. Children injured in a mass shooting at a Super Bowl victory parade. 

It’s disgusting. It’s infuriating. It’s sickening. Truly, I am SO sick and tired of coming in here and starting shows like this.  I’m beside myself believe me, it’s not what I ever want to do.

And while there’s nothing surprising about any of it, unfortunately, I can’t believe that this is where we’re at. It’s not that I can’t believe it’s happening, it’s that I can’t believe that there’s nothing surprising about this. I can’t believe that mass shootings aren’t just a regular occurrence in this county, they’re now a regular occurrence at sports victory parades! Considering at least 10 people were injured in a shooting during the Nuggets victory parade last June. And there was gunfire also reported near the Rangers’ championship parade back in November. This is a regular thing now, apparently.  What should be one of the best things ever is now one of the worst things ever.  After seeing this happen, yet again.  Would you still want to attend a victory parade? Would you dare bring your children to one?

How many times is this going to happen?  How many lives are going to be lost?  Are we supposed to just accept this as the new normal? It’s not even new; so it’s just normal.  We’re supposed to normalize mass shootings? Of course not. But here we are. Again.  And no, I don’t have the answer. There were 800 law enforcement officials there and it still happened. And it’s going to happen again.  And it’s infuriating.   And at this point, I don’t know what to say or do anymore.  Frankly, I never in my lifetime thought I would ask myself is it safe to go here or there without fear of encountering an active shooter. Or shooters. But I do NOW. Kids, who were allowed to skip school for what should have been a day they’d remember the rest of their lives, were shot: and now it’s a day they will never forget BUT for all the wrong, horrific catastrophic reasons.  Again, it doesn’t feel right to just move into the rest of the show, hit the topics of the day, have our beef segment and even have fun. But given that I don’t have the solution as to what to do about the evil living amongst us, all I can do is say, my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone is suffering as a result of yet another senseless catastrophic attack on our own.  , and I’m here to talk about this as much as you want.  While at the same time also doing what else we generally do:  I’m here for both those things. Because frankly I don’t know what else to do at this point.  Because it’s infuriating, and horrifying and essentially about the most wretched thing ever.

I just really really really hope we can find a way to make sure the worst people in our society can’t get their hands on weapons. And then show up to mass public celebrations and attempt to commit mass murder. There has to be a way to stop that from happening.