Don Lemon: ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ Didn’t Prevent TX Shooting — ‘They Were Already Praying’

On Monday’s broadcast of “CNN Tonight,” host Don Lemon opened his show with a monologue arguing that “thoughts and prayers” were not enough of a response to Sunday’s mass shooting at a Sutherland Springs, TX church.

According to Lemon, faith without works is dead.

Partial transcript as follows:

Thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers. Don’t get me wrong. Prayers are important. They really are. But can we just be honest for a moment? And this is not about religion. It’s not about politics. Democrats do it too.

President Obama has responded similarly in other shootings. And it’s not about religion. As I said, I’m not anti-thoughts and prayers by any means. I grew up in a very, a very religious south, a Baptist who went to Catholic schools where we prayed at least four times a day, plus mass on Fridays and church on Sundays, sometimes twice. So spare me the anti-religion tweets. You can keep them. I won’t even read them. I don’t care. These God-fearing Christians were in church. They were already praying. Thoughts and prayers did not stop an oversight from the justice system which enabled a guy who attacked his stepson and assaulted his wife from getting a gun.

Thoughts and prayers didn’t stop a troubled person from buying assault grade weapons that took the lives of 26 people in an instant. And please don’t get me wrong. This is not at all about the Second Amendment or taking guns out of the hands of responsible gun owners.

I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment. I’ll say that again. I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment. I grew up with hunters, family members, friends, all around me. Louisiana it’s all about hunting.

I also think responsible adults should be able to protect their homes, their property and themselves. But think about this. How many guns and of what caliber does one person need? Does a civilian really need an arsenal? Does a civilian really need body armor?

Those are good questions that we should all be asking. Maybe you think they should, but we should at least be asking those questions. Those are the questions our leaders should be debating. Our leaders should be leading, not following. And not afraid to be honest with their constituents even when it is unpopular, especially when really it is the constituents’ lives that are at stake. And they are.

Leaders stand up to lobbyists. Yes, thoughts and prayers are important. So tonight, I hope you will join me in praying that our leaders will actually do something of substance and action this time that precludes another thoughts and prayers moment.

Remember this. Faith without works is dead.

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor