Houston Police Chief Says It's Time to 'Ask God's Forgiveness' for Inaction on Gun Control

When politicians like Ted Cruz copy-paste their prayers into another post-school-shooting press release, they usually fluff it up with a solemn thanks to police and first responders. Hours after Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo responded to this week’s school shooting about 30 miles away in Santa Fe, which left ten students and teachers dead, he told them to shove their thanks and do something about gun control.

On Friday evening, he posted on Facebook that, after watching children die and “a responding police officer who is clinging to life,” he had “hit rock bottom” with the guns rights debate.

“This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and Inaction, it’s a time for prayers, action and the asking of God’s forgiveness for our inaction (especially the elected officials that ran to the cameras today, acted in a solemn manner, called for prayers, and will once again do absolutely nothing),” he wrote.

Indeed, the same exhausting thoughts-and-prayers tape rolled again: Donald Trump said he’ll keep weapons out of the wrong hands and then dropped the subject; Ted Cruz sent the same depressing greeting card; Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick literally suggested limiting the number of entries into schools (“door control”).

Here’s the full post. On Saturday, Acevedo told the New York Times that the response has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

To all my Facebook friends. Today I spent the day dealing with another mass shooting of children and a responding police officer who is clinging to life. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve shed tears of sadness, pain and anger.

I know some have strong feelings about gun rights but I want you to know I’ve hit rock bottom and I am not interested in your views as it pertains to this issue. Please do not post anything about guns aren’t the problem and there’s little we can do. My feelings won’t be hurt if you de-friend me and I hope yours won’t be if you decide to post about your views and I de-friend you.

I have never accepted the status-quo in anything I do and I’ve never accepted defeat. And I won’t do it now. I will continue to speak up and will stand up for what my heart and my God commands me to do, and I assure you he hasn’t instructed me to believe that gun-rights are bestowed by him.

The hatred being spewed in our country and the new norms we, so-called people of faith are accepting, is as much to blame for so much of the violence in our once pragmatic Nation.

This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and Inaction, it’s a time for prayers, action and the asking of God’s forgiveness for our inaction (especially the elected officials that ran to the cameras today, acted in a solemn manner, called for prayers, and will once again do absolutely nothing).

I close by saying, I wish those that move on from this page the best. May God Bless you and keep you.

Thanking first responders and police has been added to the standard post-shooting deflection package, and it was, again, added to thoughts and prayers this week.