'Daily News' provokes with cover on Calif. shooting: 'God isn't fixing this'

Jessica Durando | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Somber scene near California shooting Jefferson Graham reports from San Bernardino, California, where survivors and family members at Wednesday's mass shooting have been bussed to a local community center.

The front cover of New York's Daily News for Thursday takes a strong stance against how some politicians are reacting to the San Bernardino shooting with calls for prayer instead of tighter gun control laws.

The headline says, "God Isn't Fixing This."

"As latest batch of innocent Americans are left lying in pools of blood, cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes," the cover reads.

"The Daily News' front page is not, in any way, shape or form, condemning prayer or religion. Anyone suggesting otherwise is either — intentionally or unintentionally — misconstruing the point, which is that most GOP politicians have offered nothing but empty platitudes and angry rhetoric in response to the ongoing plague of gun violence in our country," the paper's editor-in-chief Jim Rich said in a statement.



House Speaker Paul Ryan and GOP presidential hopefuls Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and Lindsey Graham all responded with "prayers" for the victims of San Bernardino, Calif.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families, and brave first responders during this unspeakable tragedy. — Dr. Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 2, 2015

Thoughts & prayers are with #SanBernardino — Lindsey Graham (@GrahamBlog) December 2, 2015

We all are thinking about what happened in California today. Please keep the victims & their families in your prayers. — Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 2, 2015

Praying for the victims, their families & the San Bernardino first responders in the wake of this tragic shooting. — Jeb Bush (@JebBush) December 2, 2015

The tweet of the Daily News' provocative front page is currently the most retweeted of 2015 for the news organization, according to Twitter.

Meanwhile, Democratic presidential hopefuls, including Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, took a different tone and called for "action" to stop gun violence.

I refuse to accept this as normal. We must take action to stop gun violence now. -H https://t.co/SkKglwQycb — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 2, 2015

Mass shootings are becoming an almost-everyday occurrence in this country. This sickening and senseless gun violence must stop. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 2, 2015

President Obama underscored the need for stronger gun control laws in the United States after Wednesday's mass shooting, which left at least 14 dead and 14 wounded.

"There's some steps we could take, not to eliminate every one of the mass shootings, but to improve the odds that they don't happen as frequently," Obama told CBS News.

Some twitter users also reacted with pleas for more government action.

David Mignery tweeted @SpeakerRyan We need more from you than prayers.

@SpeakerRyan We need more from you than prayers. — David Mignery (@DBMignery) December 2, 2015

Prayer and tax cuts are the only two political actions Republicans ever make. #SanBernadino https://t.co/A7p2E5Sn5k — MATTY ICE (@MattyIceAZ) December 3, 2015

Whereas others felt that calling for prayer should not be mocked at a time like this.

Stop with the ridiculous mocking of the "Pray for" people. Its possible to both pray and act! #SanBernadino — Lord Macintosh  (@DarthGeekonius) December 3, 2015

Currently getting attacked by atheists for praying for #SanBernadino. Twitter is great but there is a lot of human garbage on here. — Markeece Young (@YoungBLKRepub) December 3, 2015

Photos: Closer look at California shooting