Twitter users are calling out politicians who say Texas “needs our prayers”

In the wake of the Sutherland Springs, Texas church shooting that left at least 26 dead and another 20 injured, many public figures on social media were quick to “send their thoughts and prayers” to those affected. But after witnessing two of the deadliest mass shootings in American history occur within weeks of each other, Twitter users are calling out politicians who are sending “prayers” but have done nothing to change gun laws.

According to CNN, the Sutherland Springs shooter, Devin Kelley, was denied a gun license by the state of Texas, yet somehow armed himself with an assault rifle and used it to shoot over 40 churchgoers. In 2012, Kelley was charged in military court on suspicion of assaulting his wife and child.

But in 2016, Kelley bought a Ruger AR-556 rifle in San Antonio by lying about having criminal history. His background check supposedly came back clean.

President Trump denied that the Sutherland Springs shooting was caused by poor gun control laws. He instead blamed the mass murder on a "mental health problem," calling Kelley "a very deranged individual."

American citizens are enraged that their government officials are remaining perversely stagnant about gun control laws. How many more people will have to be murdered in order for us to stop sending thoughts and prayers, and instead start signing papers to change the cyclical narrative?

We are under a time crunch and our government’s response to Sutherland Springs is a matter of life or death. Thoughts and prayers have not and will not save American citizens from senselessly dying. Action will.

Speak up and call your senators and representatives — tell them that gun laws have to change. The longer we stand idly by, the closer we get to another mass shooting, the closer we get to witnessing more deaths that could have been prevented.

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