“Thoughts and prayers” are not enough

Another mass shooting happened yesterday, this time at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. And just like after every mass shooting, right-wing politicians who have no intention of doing anything to make people safer in the face of gun violence were quick to offer their prayers and condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

When staunch National Rifle Association supporters tweet that their “thoughts and prayers” are with the victims’ families, it doesn’t mean much because when they vote on gun laws, they are with the NRA.

Join me below the fold to see what pro-NRA politicians are saying in response to yesterday’s shooting, and to put pressure on them to do more.

These are the tweets of some of the biggest recipients of pro-gun money in Congress, including the Republican leaders of both the House and the Senate, in the wake of this latest gun tragedy:

Now consider how these politicians have helped block common sense gun laws — from universal background checks to a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons — from even having a vote in Congress.

There’s one reason why Congress consistently fails to take real action on gun violence: the National Rifle Association. The NRA has a chokehold on Congress that keeps most bills about gun control from even coming to the floor for a vote. Politicians beholden to, or afraid of, the NRA are willing to turn their backs on their constituents when it comes time to implement reasonable limits and controls on guns.

In August, when a shooting in Virginia was horrifically captured on the morning news, over 95,000 CREDO activists called out presidential hopefuls and NRA-backed Sens. Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, telling them their thoughts and prayers are not enough when they vote with the NRA over their constituents.

In response to yesterday’s tragedy, President Obama echoed our message.

If you’ve also had enough of politicians saying their “thoughts and prayers” are with victims of gun violence, while their votes are with the NRA,

Sign my petition telling pro-NRA members of Congress: Your tweets about your “thoughts and prayers” mean little when you consistently vote with the NRA.

If you’re on Twitter there is something you can do in addition to signing the petition:

• Tweet at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, recipient of $72,300 of pro-gun money since 2009: .@SenateMajLdr: “Thoughts and prayers” for victims of gun violence not enough when you vote with the @NRA via @CREDOMobile
• Tweet at Speaker of the House John Boehner, recipient of $57,790 of pro-gun money since 2009: .@SpeakerBoehner “Thoughts and prayers” for victims of gun violence not enough when you vote with the @NRA via @CREDOMobile
• Tweet at Rep. Kevin McCarthy, in line to be the next Speaker of the House and recipient of $26,400 of pro-gun money since 2009: .@GOPLeader “Thoughts and prayers” for victims of gun violence not enough when you vote with the @NRA via @CREDOMobile

We owe the victims of Thursday’s tragic shooting in Roseburg, Oregon more than our thoughts and prayers. It is time for Congress to act.