Sporting Venues Permanently Add Moment Of Silence To Commemorate Future Mass Shooting Victims

In the wake of several mass shootings that have shaken the nation’s morale and sparked debate over how to appropriately memorialize the deceased at sporting events, a growing number of venues are permanently adding moments of silence to commemorate the victims of future mass shootings.

The NFL will institute change this week prior to the national anthem by asking fans to remove their hats and quickly duck and cover during a 21-gun salute to honor those among them who will eventually die in a random act of gun violence.

“It’s important to recognize the heroes who will inevitably be in the wrong place at the wrong time and unable to escape the hail of gunfire enveloping their location,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, adding that the league’s Pepsi Gun Violence Awareness Moment will not apply to games in London, as it is “a strictly American tradition.”

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder said he will forego the moment of silence in favor of a moment of cheer, telling reporters that everyone at FedEx Field will receive a fully loaded, semi-automatic handgun to hold while they think about all of those they will lose.

“Whether it’s a school, a mall, a mosque, a movie theater, a grocery store, a parade — wherever the next mass shooting will take place, we need to have the foresight to reflect on it before it happens,” Snyder said. “With every fan in attendance having a gun, we guarantee no one will use one. THAT’S gun safety,” and then Snyder knowingly pointed to his brain. 

While each venue will have the flexibility in how they memorialize the soon-to-be murdered, an NFL memo warned teams that players who kneel during the moment of silence will be fined $250,000 for dishonoring the unsuspecting Americans who are in our future thoughts and prayers.