People leave their home in the neighborhood near a home being investigated in connection to the shootings in San Bernardino, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in Redlands, Calif. A heavily armed man and woman opened fire Wednesday on a holiday banquet for his co-workers, killing multiple people and seriously wounding others in a precision assault, authorities said. Hours later, they died in a shootout with police. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

People leave their home in the neighborhood near a home being investigated in connection to the shootings in San Bernardino, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in Redlands, Calif. A heavily armed man and woman opened fire Wednesday on a holiday banquet for his co-workers, killing multiple people and seriously wounding others in a precision assault, authorities said. Hours later, they died in a shootout with police. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Politics of grief, gun control, prayer after latest shooting

WASHINGTON — It’s a natural reaction in times of grief: Politicians from both parties offered supportive thoughts and prayers for those killed in the San Bernardino shootings. But within hours, social media was awash with pushback from gun control advocates calling out those who offer prayers without pushing for tighter gun laws.

“Your ‘thoughts’ should be about steps to take to stop this carnage,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut tweeted. “Your ‘prayers’ should be for forgiveness if you do nothing — again.”

Murphy, who has been outspoken in pressing for gun control legislation, added at a news conference Thursday: “Members of Congress don’t get elected to send out sympathy tweets.”

As GOP presidential candidates and conservative lawmakers tweeted, one by one, their prayers after the shooting, Igor Volsky, a contributing editor at the liberal website ThinkProgress, started tweeting back how much each had received in campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association, which opposes tighter gun laws.

Volsky said in an interview that his Twitter campaign stemmed from frustration with those who “routinely talk about all the thoughts and prayers they’re going to send to victims, and yet they do nothing time and time again in terms of actually reducing these things from happening.”

The hashtag #thoughtsandprayers quickly was adopted by those venting frustration with the prayerful sentiments offered by those opposed to congressional action on gun legislation.

The New York Daily News expressed the same idea on its front page with the blaring headline: “God Isn’t Fixing This” coupled with images of tweets about prayers from GOP candidates Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham, and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Soon came a backlash from those arguing that gun control advocates were sneering at deeply felt prayers.

Paul tweeted that the newspaper’s cover was “deplorable. Genuine thoughts and prayers are not political fodder.”

“Prayer is exactly the right immediate response,” tweeted Matt Mackowiak, a Republican political consultant. “Belittling praying for victims is odious.”

Commentary magazine’s Noah Rothman wrote that an “ill-advised impulse to discredit the act of prayer” was an example of “how far removed the left has become from majority opinion in the rest of America.”

Separate from the political back and forth, it fell to Catholic priest and blogger Matthew Schneider to tweet his thoughts on the role of prayer for most Americans in such a time of tragedy.

“When a mass shooting happens, all 99 percent of us can do is pray for the victims and their families. #PrayforSanBernadino,” Schneider tweeted to his 36,000 followers.

He added, in an interview, “In general, in all of our lives, prayer and action should be complementary.” He declined to weigh in on the difficult politics of gun violence.

Most Democrats favor making it harder for people to purchase firearms, while most Republicans oppose the idea. With the GOP running both the House and Senate, leaders have shown little interest in even holding votes on curbing guns. And the National Rifle Association remains a potent force opposing restrictions.

Spurred by the latest shooting to take a vote, the Senate on Thursday again voted against expanding background checks for more gun purchases. It was the same proposal the Senate had rejected after the 2012 slayings of 20 children and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut.

President Barack Obama opened his remarks on the shooting Thursday by offering, yes, “thoughts and prayers” for those affected by the shooting. But he added that “it’s going to be important for all of us — including our legislatures — to see what we can do to make sure that when individuals decide that they want to do somebody harm, we’re making it a little harder for them to do it.”

Josh Earnest, Obama’s press secretary, told reporters: “We’ve got too many members of Congress who are terrified of the NRA, while too many Americans are terrified of a mass shooting.”

During the 2014 election cycle, the NRA and its affiliates spent more than $35 million on campaign contributions, lobbying expenditures and so-called issue ads supporting or opposing candidates, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker said Thursday the group had not issued any statement about the San Bernardino shootings. But she pointed out in an email that California has one of the nation’s strongest gun control laws, including background checks on all firearms sales and a strict limitation on licenses to carry concealed weapons.

Asked if there was any gun control legislation currently proposed in Congress that the NRA could support, Baker offered no response.

___

AP Writers Donna Cassata, Alan Fram, Deb Riechmann and Michael Biesecker contributed to this report.

___

Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nbenac

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast for the week of March 18

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

A board in the House Chambers at the Alaska State Capitol shows Monday’s vote tally of 39-20 to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of Senate Bill 140, one vote short of the two-thirds necessary. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Legislature fails by a single vote of 39-20 to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of education bill

Legislators warn bad blood may hamper other issues as numerous Republicans abandon earlier support.

With COVID-19 aid, more schools gave students and families experiencing homelessness prepaid cards to buy necessities like groceries and gas. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Grocery cards and car repairs: How COVID aid changed the way schools can help homeless kids

Juneau student services specialist among those finding creative ways to provide assistance.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Saturay, March 16, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Friday, March 15, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy discusses his veto of a wide-ranging education bill during a press conference Friday at the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Veto override vote on education bill expected to have consequences — and no assurance of extra funds

Retaliation by governor, fractured relationships within Legislature on other issues among concerns.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Thursday, March 14, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Kaskanak Creek in the Bristol Bay’s Kvichak watershed is seen from the air on Sept. 27, 2011. Threats to the watershed and other sites were cited by the Environmental Protection Agency when it issued a decision barring permitting of the Pebble mine. But the Dunleavy administration and Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. have taken legal action to try to reverse that decision. (Photo provided by Environmental Protection Agency
State lawsuit claims federal government owes Alaska $700 billion for quashing Pebble mine

The federal government owes Alaska more than $700 billion in compensation for… Continue reading

Tongass National Forest (Photo by U.S. Forest Service)
New Department of Interior opinion promises to recognize expanded tribal jurisdiction in Alaska

Tribes can exert jurisdiction over allotments granted to individual Natives, opinion states.

Most Read