Thoughts and prayers.
It used to signify a heartfelt wish
Thoughts and prayers.
It used to be a way of saying “regardless of your religious background or mine, I stand with you.”
Thoughts and prayers.
It used to be a genuine attempt at care and kindness in the face of loss.
But we are all well past that, aren’t we? We still have heartfelt wishes. We still want people to know that despite religious differences, we stand with them. We still find ways to extend care and kindness in the face of loss. But, when we do these things, we find other words.
Thoughts and prayers. They have become what public figures say when they are unwilling to say outloud what we all know. The proliferation of guns under the banner of second amendment rights has allowed people who cannot be responsible with those guns to have them. And to commit unspeakable atrocities.
All of our constitutionally protected rights in this country have their boundaries.
We have the right to speak freely, but if I speak in a way that incites violence, I can be arrested and tried for that violence. No one will call for thoughts and prayers. We know how to respond to that kind of violence.
We have the right to practice whatever religion we want, or no religion at all, but if I use my religion to hold you captive or to otherwise abuse you, I can be arrested for unlawful detention and abuse. No one will call for thoughts and prayers. We know how to respond to that kind of abuse.
We have the right to vote for our elected officials, but if I commit acts of voting fraud or try to coerce voting officials to falsify vote counts, I can be arrested and tried for voter fraud. No one will call for thoughts and prayers. We know how to respond to that kind of fraud.
The phrase thoughts and prayers is a signal, now, of what work we have to do as a nation around the second amendment right to own guns. Like all of our other rights, it has boundaries that come with it, and that could at the very least include licensure to own a gun, registration of the weapons, limits on assault weapons and magazine capacity restrictions, gun storage requirements, and red flag laws–none of which exist in the state of Georgia. All of these could be put into place AND allow for responsible persons to legally own guns. They would help reduce the incidents of public mass shootings.
No one needs to tell us what kinds of thoughts to have and what kinds of prayers to pray right now around this school shooting. Our hearts and minds are filled to breaking point. We need thoughtful, intentional action on the part of all our leaders, regardless of party. That is the only acceptable, public act that will do.
~Bob Patrick
