Because thoughts and prayers aren’t enough for some people following a school shooting, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin has issued a formal “Day of Prayer for Marshall County” days after two students were killed by a classmate and several others were injured.

A DAY OF PRAYER FOR MARSHALL COUNTY: JAN. 28, 2018 I urge Kentuckians of all faiths to pray earnestly for God’s comfort upon the victims and their families, God’s healing for those injured and God’s solace for all present. pic.twitter.com/smH6CAvSZ8 — Governor Matt Bevin (@GovMattBevin) January 26, 2018

Maybe this isn’t a battle atheists ought to pick since it’s a typical gesture from Christian politicians after any tragedy, but Bevin’s insincerity in doing something genuinely meaningful is obvious. His prayers won’t stop the next shooting. Kentucky’s prayers won’t form a shield around future victims of gun violence.

But instead of calling for stricter gun regulations, or more resources for mental health care, or better training for school officials, or any number of ways these kinds of tragedies could be prevented, Bevin was quick to point the finger at… the entertainment industry.

“We are desensitizing young people to the actual tragic reality and permanency of death,” he said in the 11-minute statement. “This is a cultural problem.” Bevin called on producers of movies, music, television shows and video games to be part of an effort to “figure out how to try to repair this fabric of America that’s getting shredded beyond recognition.”

There’s no evidence that the shooter was acting out some video game-inspired fantasy.

This is just another Republican governor using the aftermath of a tragedy to promote his personal faith. Give it a few more days, and he’ll tell all those people he’s kicking off of Medicaid that prayer is an alternative health care option, too.

By the way, a lot of people prayed after all the previous school shootings. (There have been nearly a dozen this month alone.) Yet, for some reason, all-powerful God doesn’t give a damn about Christians calling on Him to stop the violence. He’s just watching the chaos unfold.

Maybe it’s time people stop relying on Him for help.

(Thanks to Brian for the link)

