Contact: Ari Geller, West End Strategy Team, ageller@westendstrategy.com, 202-776-7700
In the aftermath of two horrific mass shootings in less than 24 hours in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, once again we are seeing public officials deflect from taking substantive action by using “thoughts and prayers” as a cover. In response, Rabbi Jack Moline, president of Interfaith Alliance, reshared a statement he first released following the tragic shooting in San Bernadino in 2015.
“I am a person of faith. I have spent my entire adult life as a member of the clergy. I have an intensely personal relationship with the God in whom I believe. I pray every day. And here is what I know: praying after the fact for something preventable is an affront to God and humanity.”
Rabbi Moline added to his 2015 statement the following, “We said it then and we will keep saying it. This is about guns; while prayers are well-intentioned, they don’t solve the problem. Nor do attempts by President Trump to misdirect the public’s attention toward issues like video games and mental illness. Both may need to be addressed, but without real efforts aimed at regulating access to guns, we will continue seeing thousands of Americans die every year.”
“Gun violence does not discriminate. It affects all of our communities, regardless of who we are. That said, when hate and white supremacy is added to the mix, black and brown communities and LGBTQ people are particularly at risk of being targeted. It is clear that these shooters are using rhetoric from President Trump, his supporters and the right-wing media to fuel their hatred and validate their violence. We are failing our children and the most vulnerable in our society by not having the courage to take on the gun lobby and rewrite our laws to better regulate access to firearms.”
Interfaith Alliance celebrates religious freedom by championing individual rights, promoting policies that protect both religion and democracy, and uniting diverse voices to challenge extremism. Founded in 1994, Interfaith Alliance brings together members from 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition to protect faith and freedom. For more information visit www.interfaithalliance.org.