Conversation: Are "Thoughts and Prayers" Just Idle Lamentations Without a Clear Path to Action?

It sometime feels as if America's triple threat of fear, racism, and guns has lulled some of us into idle lamentations that preclude any meaningful action toward gun reform. According to the New York Times, other countries have had a mass shootings and subsequently changed their gun laws. Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, all with a culture of gun ownership, tightened restrictions anyway. Their violence statistics now diverge sharply from those of the U.S.

How many more shootings, thoughts, and prayers will it take for America to finally reach its own inflection point and bend the arc towards gun reform?

"Inaction is not an option." —Senator Cory Booker
Join us as we delve into 3 main topics: (1) The Value of Thoughts and Prayers, (2) A Narrative Inquiry Into the Experience of Being a Victim of Gun Violence, and (3) Research - Causes/Impact (Trauma)

 

“Don’t let anyone tell you that these bad things happen and then everyone goes back to 'normal.' … You don’t have to be ‘everyone.’ Stay with the grief. Stay with the anger. Stay troubled by it all. Stay open-hearted to those who grieve. Stay tuned to those working for change.” — Morgan Harper Nichols, artist

 

Episode giveaways:

• In the News: The Value of Thoughts and Prayers Article: Understanding ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ and Its Lost Significance https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/understanding-thoughts-and-prayers-and-its-lost-significance.html "While offering condolences has been commonplace throughout time, using the phrase “thoughts and prayers” appears to have become more prevalent as social media has taken over our communication in the past few years." —Crosswalk.com, a Christian publication
• In the News: A Narrative Inquiry Into the Experience of Being a Victim of Gun Violence Article: Journal of Trauma Nursing - What is the story of being a victim of gun violence from the perspective of the victim? https://blogs.cooperhealth.org/ctd/files/2018/12/A_Narrative_Inquiry_Into_the_Experience_of_Being_a.111-1.pdf "The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of gun violence from the victim’s personal story. The design for the study was narrative inquiry. Sixteen victims of gun violence were interviewed and asked to tell their story."
• In the News: Research - Causes/Impact (Trauma) Article: Reducing gun violence: Stanford scholars tackle the issue https://news.stanford.edu/2022/05/25/gun-violence/ "Uncovering the causes of gun violence has been a challenge, in part because research is limited by federal legislation that constrains research funding on the issue...But that has not deterred scholars from examining its impacts."