U.S. men’s national team right back Reggie Cannon says he has often been forced to explain America’s gun violence problem to his club teammates in Europe.
Cannon, who plays for Portuguese side Boavista, has come to Austin, Texas with the rest of his USMNT teammates ahead of Friday’s Nations League match against Grenada.
Texas is also the site of last month’s horrific school shooting in Uvalde that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
“It’s difficult coming back to Texas, especially given the circumstances,” Cannon, a Texas native and former FC Dallas star, told reporters on Tuesday.
As the U.S. continues to suffer from an epidemic of gun violence, the USMNT released an open letter to Congress on Sunday, urging members to vote in favor of stricter gun controls.
“This is my home, but I think it’s also realistic to say that there is a need for change, and that’s what this group has been focused on, especially with the mantra ‘be the change,’ especially with that letter sent the other day that we all we all contributed to,” Cannon said.
“I think it is time for sincere change. And I think it’s always heart-wrenching to be in this place and see the problems that reside.”
Cannon added that many of his teammates in Portugal, a country with comparatively little gun violence, will quiz him on why his home nation is so different.
“Being in Europe I’m always having to explain to my teammates that this is reality,” Cannon said, “but it is what it is and that’s why I think this group is so focused on figuring out what we can do to inspire positive change.”
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