Prayer Call Criticized Following Minneapolis School Shootings
In the wake of recent shootings at Catholic schools in Minneapolis, liberal media personalities and politicians expressed strong criticism over calls for prayer. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of two children and injuries to more than a dozen others during a mass on Wednesday.
One social media post highlighted the irony: “These kids were probably praying when they were shot dead at Catholic schools. Don’t give us your thoughts and prayers.” This point was made as critics pointed out that previous measures, like the disbanding of offices focused on gun violence under former President Trump, failed to prevent such incidents.
Minnesota Shooting: Two Children Dead, 17 Injured
Jeff Timmer from the Lincoln Project took to social media to challenge Senator Lindsey Graham after the senator offered prayers for the Minneapolis community. Timmer shot back, questioning the effectiveness of prayer in light of the tragedy and suggesting that it is inadequate in addressing the root causes of violence.
MSNBC’s Jen Psaki echoed similar sentiments, stating, “Prayers don’t stop school shootings or make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. They won’t bring back these children.” Following this, she further criticized ineffective responses, referencing a crime prevention plan that involved deploying the National Guard, which she deemed misguided.
In line with these criticisms, MSNBC’s Michael Steele claimed to be “beyond that nonsense,” asserting that just thinking and praying were insufficient responses to violence.
Other Democratic figures also voiced their frustrations, urging for actionable steps rather than mere thoughts and prayers. Senator Rosa Delauro from Connecticut stated, “Thinking and praying are not enough. We need to act to stop gun violence.”
Leaders React to “Unintelligible” Attacks
Rep. Brittany Pettersen pointedly remarked that thoughts and prayers do not bring resolution to such tragedies. CNN’s Dana Bash shared clips of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who emphasized the need for real action in response to violence, rather than just thoughts and prayers.
Bash concurred, emphasizing that the raw feelings of sadness and anger often overwhelm the notion of praying for change, especially when the victims were in prayer themselves at the time of the shooting.
Mayor Frey, while acknowledging that thoughts and prayers are welcome, stressed that they fall short in the face of such violence.
Investigation Underway
The perpetrator was identified by law enforcement as someone who may have gone by multiple names. Authorities continue to investigate the incident, aiming to piece together the motivations behind this heartbreaking tragedy.
