‘Any Message Today Should Be on Offering Thoughts/Prayers for Victims and Their Families’
Outrage is growing after a HuffPost article Tuesday revealed a staffer for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) had emailed congressional Democrats the day after the Las Vegas shooting warning them to not politicize the tragedy by talking about gun control and solutions to gun violence, but rather to send thoughts and prayers.
“You and your candidate will be understandably outraged and upset, as will your community. However, DO NOT POLITICIZE IT TODAY,†DCCC regional press secretary Evan Lukaske wrote the morning of Monday, October 2 to House candidates and their staffs in the Northeast.
“There will be time for politics and policy discussion, but any message today should be on offering thoughts/prayers for victims and their families, and thanking 1st responders who saved lives.â€
Lukaske’s email also cautioned candidates to tweet as little as possible.
The DCCC exists to help elect Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives.
It was the nation’s worst mass shooting in modern history. 58 people were killed and 851 were wounded.
Just one month later at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, another horrific mass shooting would occur, leaving 26 people dead.Â
Many on social media regularly attack Republicans after every mass shooting for tweeting “thoughts and prayers,” while others remind followers just how much money the NRA has donated to their campaigns.
Fortunately, many Democratic lawmakers ignored the DCCC’s advice.Â
“It’s time for Congress to get off its ass and do something,” Connecticut Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said the same day as Lukaske’s email.
Fellow Connecticut Democratic lawmaker, U.S. Congressman Jim Himes responded to the shooting with this tweet:
After HuffPost’s article, many took to social media to express outrage:
At least after Parkland the DCCC appears to have gotten the message:
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