Good for President Obama for saying "Thoughts and prayers aren't enough." And good for Mike Huckabee for not disappointing, speaking for all the teabagging nutjobs out there in suggesting the president was "exploiting" the tragedy in saying it.
After that mass murder in the state of my birth, politicians rallied to the cause. By tweeting. Prayers. Thoughts, even. But pledges to act? No, not that. Because freedom.
And, since this is Sunday, let me ask yet again: what, exactly, do those who are "sending" their prayers think those prayers will accomplish? They're asking something from god, evidently; but on what basis would one think that the god that allowed/caused the mass murder would be moved by prayer, ex-post facto, to do.... what? Raise the dead? Been there done that. So, maybe, bring "peace" to the families and loved ones of the dead? Really? All it takes is a prayer? To that guy? No, what it's about is pretending you care. Or, in the case of the sincere, it's tacit acknowledgment that there's really nothing anyone can do. Except, maybe, vote out the NRA cow-towers.
It's doubtful that most of those, especially the tweeting politicians, who say their "thoughts and prayers" go out somewhere or other actually spent any time praying. Less likely is any of them taking any sort of action, legislatively, to address the issue of gun violence in the US. Not the same group that just, yet again, blocked funding for research on the subject. Because knowledge.
Praying is easy. Saying you're praying is easier still. Who cares if it makes no sense, theologically, and is entirely ineffective except as a smokescreen? But it's not like they're doing a damn thing otherwise. So why the heck not?
Hi Sid
ReplyDeleteThe NRA reminds me of where the tobacco lobby was in its prime about 30 years ago. They smashed whatever they even perceived as a challenge and appeared quite indestructible.
But when your product kills a lot of people it tends towards change even for the mighty RJ Reynolds cabal.