Jen Psaki, former President Obama’s Communications Director, former President Biden’s first press secretary, and current political commentator for MSNBC, is catching a lot of flak for deriding calls for “thoughts and prayers” following the latest murders of children in Minneapolis. But she may have a point. But if her critics see Jen Psaki’s comments not as ridicule or criticism but rather as a challenge, they may be able to accomplish more by diverting their efforts from attacking her to developing their own thoughts, prayers—and actions.
One can’t predict when shootings such as those last week which killed two children in prayer and wounded others take place. But one can predict the reactions such atrocities will elicit. After the first expressions of horror subside, attempts will be made to divine the killer’s motives and calls for reforms of some sort or another will be made—more restrictive gun control measures, more attention to mental health programs, whatever.
And of course, there will be calls for ‘thoughts and prayers’ for the deceased.
And herein is where Ms. Psaki has elicited major pushback for her comments on the matter.
Ms. Psaki initially said, “Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayers does (sic) not end school shootings. Prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers.”
To say that Ms. Psaki has faced backlash over her comments, especially from Trump administration officials, is an understatement. Herewith a sample:
Current White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt: “I saw the comments of … Ms. Psaki, and frankly, I think they’re incredibly insensitive and disrespectful to the tens of millions of Americans of faith across this country who believe in the power of prayer, who believe that prayer works.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard: “So why is it that people like Jen Psaki and others have such a spontaneous, visceral negative reaction to those who are praying to God for refuge, strength, and for the well-being of the victims of this heinous attack? Because they do not believe in God or His love….Their response is rooted in their hatred of God. They want to be God. So they view Him as their competitor. They are agents of darkness and hatred, and the light of God’s love is a threat to their dark ambitions.”
Vice President JD Vance: “We pray because our hearts are broken. We pray because we know God listens. We pray because we know that God works in mysterious ways, and can inspire us to further action.”
But Ms. Psaki is not backing down. In response to her critics, she has said,
“So the issue I raised yesterday and I will raise again today and I will not stop raising, is that people in power, like, say, people in the White House, who are using their platforms to do anything other than call for action for sensible gun safety measures—they’re doing anything else, like attacking me, which is a waste of time, they’re doing anything but saying what should be done to help prevent tragedies like the shooting in Minneapolis.”
So who’s right—Ms Psaki? Or her critics? There may be some truth on both sides.
If expressions of “thoughts and prayers” are simply substitutes for action, then Ms. Psaki should be taken more seriously. A good example supporting Ms. Psaki’s views can be seen when following a school shooting in Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp was asked, “What can be done to make Georgia schools safer?” Kemp replied, “This is not the day to talk about safety or policy. We need thoughts and prayers for the victims, law enforcement, and educators.” Hmmm…Seems like a pretty evasive response to an issue for which there should be no evasion whatsoever.
But prayer can be powerful if it stimulates thought which leads to effective action. And herein lies the real value of prayer—a value Ms. Psaki may not recognize, but which should be taken with the utmost seriousness, regardless of what Ms. Psaki thinks.
Those who genuinely want to tackle this problem should waste no time or energy beating up on Ms. Psaki. They should see Ms. Psaki’s remarks as a challenge. To that end, they should devote their efforts first of all to the support of the wounded and of the families of the dead. And they must continuously consider what, based on our knowledge of the past, can be done to reduce the chances of more such shootings in the future: More effective gun control measures? More effective mental health programs? More effective means of identifying threats, designing buildings and grounds to make access to people more difficult, and providing armed guards to protect the innocent? And more courage to try means of promoting public safety, to keep what works, and to discard what doesn’t? There’s no guarantee that renewed efforts to reduce shootings will actually work, but devoting one’s energies to attacking Ms. Psaki rather than the problems at hand will guarantee failure.
So: Take the Jen Psaki Challenge: Pray. Think. Act. Repeat for as long as necessary. And you’ll increase the chances not only of doing something constructive, but of proving that those who would depreciate prayer are wrong as well.
Malcolm L. Cross has lived in Stephenville since 1987 and taught politics and government at Tarleton for 36 years, retiring in 2023. His political and civic activities include service on the Stephenville City Council (2000-2014) and on the Erath County Republican Executive Committee (1990-2024). He was Mayor pro-tem of Stephenville from 2008 to 2014. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Stephenville
Economic Development Authority since 2018 and as chair of the Erath County Appraisal District’s Appraisal Review Board since 2015. He is also a member of the Stephenville Rotary Club, the Board of Vestry of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and the Executive Committee of the Boy Scouts’ Pecan Valley District. Views expressed in this column are his and do not reflect those of The Flash as a whole.
Things need to change. “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.”