The Conversation (0)
Narjas Zatat
Aug 06, 2019
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Spencer Platt/Getty
A former Arkansas governor has said thoughts and prayers are the “only thing” that will stop mass shootings in controversial comments made following two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.
Mike Huckabee said the only solution to preventing the kind of violence that gives birth to mass shootings is “thoughts and prayers” which is a phrase often used to express sympathy for them in America.
The twice Republican presidential candidate wrote the message on his blog. He wrote: “Despite all those who are denouncing the idea of prayers for the victims (do a Google search for ‘Thoughts and prayers are not enough’ and see how many hits you get), I will continue to pray for the victims and their families and for an end to this mindless violence, and I hope you will, too.”
In fact, ... I would posit that the lack of thought and prayers is probably the single biggest factor in what is behind them.
Mass shootings, he said, will not stop until “kids are brought up once again to believe that we are all made in the image of God, that life is sacred and superficial differences like skin color are meaningless. [sic]”
Until then, passing more laws and pointing more fingers is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
That’s why I will keep ignoring the scoffers and saying prayers and urging everyone to join together and do the same.
Democratic republican candidate Beto O’Rourke called out president Trump’s rhetoric, calling him an “open, avowed racist.”
Huckabee disagreed, saying he doesn’t understand how Trump can be a racist if he denied it.
I also don’t see how someone who has repeatedly denied being racist can be an ‘open, avowed racist.
So far Republicans have blamed the mass shootings on video games, school prayer bans and social media.
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