After four Houston police officers were shot while serving a warrant, a frustrated Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tells politicians to forget the thoughts and prayers and address the public health epidemic of gun violence.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday morning related to the tragic shooting, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo scolded politicians for offering the obligatory “thoughts and prayers” while doing absolutely nothing to address the out of control public health crisis caused by guns.

At the news conference Chief Acevedo said:

We don’t elect people to pray for us. We elect people to lead for us.

Acevedo added:

I appreciate your prayers, but frankly, we’ve got a community to pray for us. The question is, what are policy makers willing to do besides prayers to address a public health epidemic?

Acevedo continued:

I would express my personal frustration at lawmakers that know we have a public health epidemic in this country we call gun violence. It doesn’t just impact law enforcement. It crushes communities, tears apart families, cuts lives short, every single day.

Watch Chief Acevedo’s remarks below:

Acevedo makes a good point. Both Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton offered their “thoughts and prayers” to the victims while making absolutely no effort to address the public health crisis caused by gun violence.

Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement in which he said:

I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for the officers injured, and for the continued safety of all law enforcement officers who protect our communities.

And Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement:

The thoughts and prayers of countless Texans are with the officers, their families, and the Houston Police Department.

Chief Acevedo is right. We don’t need prayers from politicians. Prayers will not stop bullets. Prayers will not change the gun laws. Prayers will not change the culture of the gun that plagues the U.S. Prayers will not stop the terrorist organization known as the National Rifle Association (NRA).

As a nation we live with and tolerate a culture of gun violence. All the while any proposal to enact sensible reform to curb gun violence is squashed by the the NRA and the attending all powerful gun lobby.

Indeed, the NRA and the gun lobby intimidates and bullies politicians, while spreading deception and misinformation to the general public. They are the equivalent of the 20th century tobacco lobby, merchants of death, claiming their product is safe while countless Americans die.

The fact is America has a fetish for guns, and that perverse fetish for guns will not be cured by thoughts and prayers.

Bottom line: Cheers for Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo who has the courage to tell politicians to forget the thoughts and prayers and address the public health crisis caused by gun violence.