A question for every American after yet another mass shooting: Aren’t BOTH of these takes true?👇 1. Don’t demean thoughts & prayers. Prayer isn’t enough, but it’s good & important 2. Don’t stop with thoughts & prayers. We must do all we can societally & legislatively to TRY to end mass shootings.
If you're referring to the statement from the mayor of Minneapolis, he wasn't demeaning thoughts and prayers. He was pointing out that since that's all the republicans do after esch mass shooting, that's not enough!!
Dude no. Wrong take. “Thoughts and prayers” connotes weakness, cowardice and lethal recklessness to those who do care about gun reform. This comment will get you nowhere. I’m sad you said this — I was rooting for you.
FWIW: I have never been derided for offering thoughts and prayers. It feels to me that the people getting criticized for this are the people who have (or once had) the power to help by doing much, much more. ie. It's never been the thoughts and prayers that are mocked. It's the inaction.
It’s not the thoughts and prayers that are being demeaned -it’s the politician who actually has the power to do something about it but instead chooses to (allegedly) think and pray.
The sentiment is that thoughts and prayers is just something politicians say to avoid addressing the underlying issue.
Also the Eagles is a terrible band
Appalling bad band.
🎯
Oh stop. The only reason anyone is demeaning thoughts and prayers is because it's the only thing our government has offered us as a solution for decades now. You should know, you were one of those people for many years.
Conservatives demeaned “Thoughts and prayers” along time ago.
Prayer is objectively unimportant. It does nothing and cheapens the gravity of what happened. Grow up
Prayers are good if you believe in free will. Use your will to make change!
Thoughts and prayers has become an empty, easy slogan. It’s rightfully become an insult to victims’ families.
"Thoughts" mean empathy. Okay. "Prayers" mean passing the responsibility to some invisible friend. NOT okay.
No. The first take has no factual evidence it helps a whit, & plenty of circumstantial evidence to indicate it doesn't. Praying to the green cookie man after a man made disaster doesn't make it not happen. The *only* thing it does it give that person a false sense that they accomplished something.
Anybody publicly offering thoughts and prayers without taking action to stop this from happening again is just cosplaying.
No one is demeaning sincere compassion and prayer. What people are sick of is the disingenuous way these hypocrites use their religion as an excuse to do nothing.
Prayer is both an invitation and an excuse for inaction. Appear to your imaginary sky friend and everything will be okay. It’s the penultimate in lack of civic duty possible.
To answer your initial question, No.
Think and pray all you like - Gun control is the only answer. Amendment 28, replacing Amendment 2.
Thoughts and prayers for unforseeable tragedies over which we have no control but still take meaningful action to mitigate as best we can... sure, sometimes that's all you can do. Mass shootings are not that though, and thoughts and prayers are insults to the victims at this point.
Yet again another devastating heartbreaking shooting. We have failed and traumatized a generation of children because lawmakers choose to protect assault weapons over children. #schoolshooting
No. If prayer did anything, why the fuck doesn't it? And if you are a CHRISTIAN prayer, it says IN THE BOOK to keep that shit to yourself. So do that and focus on the WORK.
Sorry Joe as an Atheist I agree with you most times going to have to take a pass on this one, depending on some mythical creature is simply insanity
It's the fucking guns man
They were shot praying dude you may as well fart in the wind. When is enough evidence enough?
Thoughts and prayers are pointless without actions. That is the point of the “thoughts and prayers” diminution. The fact that guns in this country are more important than people is sick and twisted. But it’s of a piece with everything that is the GOP.
Words/prayer without action mean nothing They just make the speaker/praying person feel better.
I demean thoughts and prayers because those advocating for thoughts and prayers rarely do even that. And also because it's a reactionary measure. And also because they neither bring the murdered back nor they prevent the shootings from happening again.
======================================== Events of this day will stay with Minnesota children for the rest of their lives. US = easy access to guns. US = acceptance of gun culture. US = stupid. China = No guns. No school shootings.
• Need rigorous licensing process. • Includes face-to-face interview with local police specially trained for such an interview. • No -- is acceptable, SCOTUS approved outcome.
I understand the take. It is, I suppose, a fair one. HOWEVER, also fair is the fact that too many in your former party USED (and USE) "thoughts and prayers" as deflection, which makes many of us - even and maybe especially Christians like me - extremely cynical about that ploy. They're despicable.
Prayer is just a distraction, empathy, decency and logic would be more productive.
Religion contributes to every single terrible thing currently happening in the US.
Mostly people weren’t demeaning thoughts and prayers, the right just twists it that way to fuel their hate. Obviously thoughts and prayers haven’t worked, our kids are still dying. The MAJORITY of people in the US want sensible gun control laws.
Guns are not the main problem. The main problem in America is its gun culture fed by paranoia.
Prayers don't actually DO anything other than making the person praying feel like they're doing something. That has some value, perhaps, but it's not going to change anything in the material world.
Real Christians will pray. But when those people in government, who can do something about it and call themselves Christians while going against everything Jesus stood for, say it, it's blasphemy. We do not begrudge your praying, we condemn hypocrisy.
If you vote for those people, that is an action. One actions their true values. Actions are who those voters really are.
Thoughts and prayers are like throwing a tampon at gunshot victim and telling them to plug the hole.
Stop defending Inaction or you are pro child murder
Thoughts and prayers are best delivered on one's own time. Lawmakers have an actual job to do and they won't do it.
We knew the answer to this before christ. Prayer doesn't work. There is no God watching and if he is, why evil?
The "thoughts and prayers" thing has become pro forma, meaningless, and trivial. (And since the Big Guy in the Sky is a fiction...)
Prayer is what you do when you're committed to avoiding action.
A prayer only affects the mind of the person praying and helps others only if they pray for courage to take action. Otherwise it is an excuse to do nothing. It does not cause God to act in any way. It does not bring comfort to others. Besides, Americans really love murder.
Neither prevent the next killing, do they? Gun control would definitely help.
1) No; it’s been overused to a point it needs to be demeaned now. Anyway, thoughts and prayers.
"Thoughts & prayers" is as useful as "boo hoo get over it." It deserves no less than ridicule.
No, it's not good when it's an excuse. If there is a God, that God wants action, not useless, empty words. We have brains and free will to make the right choices. It's our responsibility to fix it. We have the means to do it, but we don't act, that makes us guilty of enabling the violence.
It’s good? What had it done? Made people feel like they will end without doing anything to end this American scourge.
Real thoughts and prayers might mean something - but this is just a rote response - no thought put into it - just throw it out and then wipe your hands.
Oh please...🙄
I send a story from Red Indiana... Police complained to the capitol that their plan for permit-less carry was dangerous. GOP did not listen and passed it anyway. Now state politicians have to use extra security in Indianapolis due to increase in shootings in Indianapolis.
Praying is mental masterbation
What specifics do you propose beyond thoughts and prayers?
Are you fucking kidding me??? They were in a “house of god” … please explain how prayer makes any difference.
You'd think that if God were interested in or capable of doing literally anything, he would have intervened in at least the shooting spree in his own church.
Yeah, I guess he was busy helping a Baptist grandmother find the keys to her SUV or something.
Nah, this demon being worshiped as a deity is more interested in an Evangelical kicking a field goal, throwing a touchdown pass, or hitting a home run to be concerned about kids and keys.
Most of those picked on about it are of the prayers without work stripe. The criticism should be of the lack of works to follow up on the prayers. The hollowness of those prayers without works is a valid criticism.
I think a thought & prayers can be used sincerely if people are advocates or vocal about doing something reasonable about the glaring issues. If people, mostly politicans say it as lip service, it is not warranted or welcome.
Agreed that prayers are important. However, no one seems to be inclined to do #2. Whenever anyone brings up the need to do more to stop it, they are told now isn't the time, now is the time for grief & the issues will be addressed in due time, but they never are. We need to switch the order.
Neither means anything concretely.
Congress is a disgrace They spend more time kissing trumps ass than standing up for what’s right Grow a set of balls and get gun control Morons
Yes.
Bullshit. Thoughts and prayers mean nothing to anyone but the one thinking and praying. Stop pandering to stupidity Joe.
Trey Gowdy said that the two children have gone to be with the one that loves them most. I don’t care how religious you are, that is just inappropriate. And the reason that prayer gets demeaned is because they NEVER want to do anything but pray. They do not do anything else.
Prayer is an expression of faith, and faith is pretending to know things you can't know. So no, prayers are unimportant and utterly ineffective.
Sorry, not in my mind. Number one is an age old excuse to do absolutely nothing, and never did any good. It sure didn't help the 8 year old and 10 year old who were murdered. Nor those who were wounded and are in the hospital. Just an excuse. Nothing more.
Prayers don’t seem to be working Joe. Time to move on to solutions that might actually make a difference.
Prayers never worked...religion is the problem, not the solution
You can absolutely have "thoughts & prayers" for the victims & their families. That's a YOU thing, that makes YOU feel better to say when you have no control over why this keeps happening. POLITICIANS offering "thoughts & prayers" when THEY have the power to STOP this can get f*cked.
This right here. 🔥🔥
My feeling about these shootings is that we should be trying to reduce the conditions that lead to people wanting to do this, which often stems from past bullying.
I can't think of anything more sad than losing a child. Apparently those in power don't care. These mass shootings of children will not end until these high powered weapons are banned. The right will blame the trans community and turn a blind eye to the actual responsibility of the weapons.
All mass shootings are performed with guns and rifles. Kash Patel has already determined that this was a hate crime shortly after it was committed prior to any investigation. How sad that this sycophant is the FBI Director.
You can talk to whatever bullshit fake invisible man in the sky you want but it will never help because he does not exist. Passing meaningful legislation on the other hand…will never happen either because there’s no such thing as a congressperson with backbone either
Those killed and injured today were actually praying. It's not a shield. It's not a policy. It keeps nobody safe. In fact, it gives false hope of safety. It's a meaningless trope used to kick the can and continue the status quo of doing nothing.
One wonders if “prayers” are being answered. Are the Thoughts and prayers only for those affected or are they said for the families along with genuine desire to find solutions to stop them from happening. Prayers without action is akin to spitting in the wind.
What a stupid thing to say.
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This does not happen in other countries.
Prayers would be questioning god's will. Who are we to question what these people did that he felt the need to do this yet again?
Nope. Prayer accomplishes precisely nothing, but it makes those who really want to do precisely nothing, but know that they SHOULD do something, feel like they’ve actually done something to help. So the idea that it helps actually prevents people from taking action to help.
"1. Don’t demean thoughts & prayers. Prayer isn’t enough, but it’s good & important" Why is prayer good and important? What are the benefits? What has prayer accomplished in the specific area of school shootings? I mean besides providing a better answer than "We're not gonna do anything about it".
Counterpoint: thoughts and prayers might make the person conjuring them feel slightly less helpless, but they are neither good nor important. What's needed is a reversal of the lack of political will to do a damn thing to stop Americans, children or otherwise, from being shot to pieces daily.
The trouble is that 'thoughts and prayers' has become a useless phrase.
Not when murderous acts like this keep continuing & children keep being the targets & no action is being taken to stop it.
I envy your faith, Joe, but I do not share it. Prayer has proven to be worthless, IMO.
No sorry “thoughts and prayers” are said by people who care so little they copy and paste that with the high five hands
Thoughts and prayers are do nothing performative BS that ammosexuals use to avoid taking responsibility for the consequences of their cowardice. They make a choice that dead kids are an acceptable price of their freedom.
Thoughts and prayers are a disgusting copout. Quit giving it importance. We've been thinking and praying for decades and the carnage continues unabated.
Please...prayers got us into this mess...religion has always stood for hatred and oppression while existing only in pursuit of the mighty dollar...its religion that causes people to act irrational because of their hatred for those who dont fit into their version of how we should all behave
Prayers do nothing. If it makes you feel better to believe in an invisible guy in the sky and babble to him, then go ahead. I prefer thoughts about how to fix the problem using reason and then putting thoughts into action to test the hypothesis.
No.... God wants action on loose gun laws, not more praying
Except that "thoughts and prayers" is dumbass code for "don't do a fucking thing to to stop it".
1 is full of shit Yes we should demean inactionable things as doing nothing but thinking and "praying" Praying doesnt do anything, its pretend
It’s really the direction of thinking. Pray for the survivors and lives lost in *past* shootings, if prayer is your thing. Take action to help prevent them in the *future*. Sadly, one party only cares about backward thinking.
Why are thoughts and prayers the only solution for mass shootings? We’re sending the military into DC for no real reason but this is the ONE area where thoughts and prayers are the only possible solution and we just do nothing about mental health and weapons?
Why don’t you talk to your friends on now the other side of the aisle, they’re the reason we have this issue.
How have thoughts and prayers gone so far ? You have more guns than people. Your gun death rates are outrageous yet nothing will ever change because of the 2nd amendment. Just mind boggling
My thoughts exactly. Echoes James 2: 14-26.
No. Prayer is what you do when you don't have the guts to take action.
Fuck you, baby killer. You support every child shot, starved, bombed, incinerated by a Nazi regime.
How about we just stop with the imaginary friend bullshit.
Joe, you guys use “thoughts and prayers” every single time — just before any talk of ACTUAL SOLUTIONS — get talked about. Which is to say thoughts and prayers are all Americans get — and no more. Its crass.
Praying is a great way to make yourself feel better, just so long as you understand that there's nobody on the other end of the line. If God existed and gave a shit, the US would have meaningful gun laws.
Prayers don’t work. If they did, there’d be no poverty, no disease, no suffering, no war. Prayer is just a “feel good” emotion for people who want things to happen that just aren’t happening