New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doesn’t want to hear anyone’s #ThoughtsAndPrayers in light of the terrorist attack against Muslims in New Zealand.

At 1st I thought of saying, “Imagine being told your house of faith isn’t safe anymore.” But I couldn’t say “imagine.” Because of Charleston.

Pittsburgh.

Sutherland Springs. What good are your thoughts & prayers when they don’t even keep the pews safe?pic.twitter.com/2mSw0azDN8 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 15, 2019

At 1st I thought of saying, “Imagine being told your house of faith isn’t safe anymore.” But I couldn’t say “imagine.” Because of Charleston.

Pittsburgh.

Sutherland Springs. What good are your thoughts & prayers when they don’t even keep the pews safe?

She later said she was specifically referring to people — like conservative politicians and pro-gun enthusiasts — who only offer thoughts and prayers in the wake of massacres while getting in the way of any actions that might prevent these tragedies in the future.

She’s right to say that a house of worship ought to be a safe space for the people inside. Everyone deserves a place to belong. Everyone should be able to feel protected when surrounded by their community members.

It’s also worth noting that more people were murdered yesterday in those mosques than New Zealand usually sees in the span of an entire year. The country’s gun laws were tightened in the 90s when the government literally bought back assault rifles, claiming that military-grade weapons had no place in the hands of civilians.

Contrast that with the policies in the United States, where guns outnumber the citizens who own them, and where mass shootings continue to claim the lives of hundreds of people every year.

Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough, and they can no longer be an excuse to avoid meaningful action. Sensible gun policy requires government action. These tragedies likely can’t be prevented entirely in the U.S., but they can be curtailed if we vote for people who back common sense regulations.

(Featured image via Shutterstock)

