Thoughts and prayers

For other uses, see Thoughts and Prayers (disambiguation).

Thoughts and prayers
(Top) A crying Eiffel Tower in remembrance of those victims who lost their lives in the November 2015 Paris attacks (Bottom) Protestor's sign at March for Our Lives, Washington DC (2018)
MeaningToken support, moral self-licensing
Original formPublic expression of condolences
Context

"Thoughts and prayers" is a phrase commonly used by officials and celebrities, particularly in the United States, as a condolence after a deadly event such as a natural disaster or mass shooting.[1] The phrase "thoughts and prayers" is criticized by political activists, who say the phrase is a replacement for action such as gun control or counter-terrorism legislation.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

  1. ^ Scribner, Herb (September 21, 2017). "Celebrities share thoughts and prayers for Mexico and Puerto Rico victims". Deseret News. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  2. ^ Bort, Ryan (October 2, 2017). "Thoughts and prayers and not much more: Politicians react to Las Vegas shooting". Newsweek. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  3. ^ "Mark Kelly: 'Thoughts and prayers' from politicians 'aren't going to stop the next shooting'". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  4. ^ Carter, Brandon (October 2, 2017). "Dem rips colleagues for offering 'thoughts and prayers': 'Your cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed'". TheHill. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  5. ^ Telnaes, Ann (October 2, 2017). "Opinion | Thoughts and prayers, again". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  6. ^ Martinelli, Marissa (October 2, 2017). "BoJack Horseman's Mass Shooting Episode Reminds Us That "Thoughts and Prayers" Won't Stop Gun Violence". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  7. ^ Murray, Douglas (March 23, 2017). "Pray for London, for Antwerp, for Nice: this is Europe's new normal". The Spectator. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2017.