Once again, America wakes up to the nightmare of a school shooting, this time at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The tragedy left at least four people dead and nine others injured. As the country reels from the shock, the same tired responses come rolling in from certain politicians. And, once again, the calls for “thoughts and prayers” echo louder than any meaningful action.
One of the most vocal figures in this cycle of empty rhetoric is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). After the shooting, she tweeted, “Let us join together in prayer for the victims of the school shooting at Apalachee High School and their families just as these students of AHS circled together in prayer today. 🙏💔” It sounds nice, right? But when will politicians like her understand that prayers alone won’t stop bullets?
Let us join together in prayer for the victims of the school shooting at Apalachee High School and their families just as these students of AHS circled together in prayer today. 🙏💔 pic.twitter.com/AsxLl25ZV0
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 4, 2024
It didn’t take long for people on social media to call out the hypocrisy. One user, Neil Palladino, tweeted back, “Why don’t you do something about it, Marge? You’re all talk but never do anything impactful or important.” Another user, Left the Right, said, “How about some laws to at least try and stop kids dying?” And then there was the sharp reply from @BlaineDetails, who said, “The hypocrisy is laughable.”
Why don’t you do something about it, Marge? You’re all talk but never do anything impactful or important.
— Neil Palladino (@nmptwo) September 4, 2024
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How about some laws to at least try and stop kids dying?
— Left the right (@spatially) September 4, 2024
The hypocrisy is laughable
— Alien Must (@BlaineDetails) September 4, 2024
These responses show just how frustrated people are with the inaction of their leaders. But Greene’s not alone in her inaction. Many other Republicans are quick to send out thoughts and prayers, but they stop short of doing anything to prevent these tragedies from happening again. Manuel Oliver, the father of a student killed in the 2018 Parkland shooting, said it best: “Shame on anyone that is praying today instead of reacting before.” He’s right. What good are prayers after the fact, when nothing is being done to stop these shootings from happening in the first place?
Oliver predicted that these politicians would soon call for more security in schools—metal detectors, armed teachers, and other measures that might make schools feel more like prisons than places of learning. But why is it easier for them to turn schools into fortresses than to pass laws that might actually reduce gun violence?
It’s hard to believe that, in 2024, we’re still having this debate. The US has already seen at least 385 mass shootings this year alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive. That’s more than 1.5 shootings every day. And yet, the politicians who could do something to stop this madness continue to sit on their hands.
What’s even more infuriating is how out of touch these politicians seem to be. They claim to be “pro-life,” but their actions—or lack thereof—tell a different story. Protecting children should be their top priority, but instead, they seem more concerned with protecting their political careers.
It’s time for voters to demand more from their leaders. Prayers are nice, but they’re not enough. We need action. We need laws that will keep guns out of the hands of those who would use them to commit these terrible crimes. And we need politicians who will finally stop talking and start doing something.
Until that happens, the cycle will continue: more shootings, more prayers, and more inaction. And that’s not just tragic—it’s unacceptable.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
