Mike Huckabee: Thoughts And Prayers Are 'Only Thing' That Will Stop Mass Shootings

This weekend’s mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, have many people demanding that something be done to stop gun violence.

However, Mike Huckabee insists there’s only one solution to curbing the violence and it’s ― you guessed it ― “thoughts and prayers,” that time-honored solution of pretending to do something without actually doing anything.

On Monday, the former Arkansas governor and twice Republican presidential candidate wrote a post on his blog where he attempted to make the case that “thoughts and prayers” are “the only thing that’s ever really going to help.”

Despite all those who are denouncing the idea of prayers for the victims (do a Google search for “Thoughts and prayers are not enough” and see how many hits you get), I will continue to pray for the victims and their families and for an end to this mindless violence, and I hope you will, too.

In fact, ... I would posit that the lack of thought and prayers is probably the single biggest factor in what is behind them.

Huckabee said mass shootings will never stop until “kids are brought up once again to believe that we are all made in the image of God, that life is sacred and superficial differences like skin color are meaningless.”

He added:

Until then, passing more laws and pointing more fingers is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

That’s why I will keep ignoring the scoffers and saying prayers and urging everyone to join together and do the same.

Huckabee also criticized current Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke for calling President Donald Trump a “racist” for a really bizarre reason: “I also don’t see how someone who has repeatedly denied being racist can be an ‘open, avowed racist.’”

We’re sending out thoughts and prayers that Huckabee will figure out that denying you’re a racist does not count as proof that what you do and say are not racist.

Also on HuffPost

10. Tennessee

> 2013 firearm death rate: 15.4 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 9,568 (11th highest) > Violent crime rate: 590.6 (4th highest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 17.8% (12th highest)  There were more than 1,000 gun-related deaths — including homicide, suicide, and accidents — in Tennessee in 2013, or 15.4 deaths per 100,000 residents, the 10th highest rate in the country. Overall crime rates were also quite high, with 590.6 violent crimes reported per 100,000 people, far more than the nearly 368 reported crimes for every 100,000 Americans. Additionally, less than 25% of adults in the state had at least a bachelor’s degree, less than the 29.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree across the nation.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3cscAYauD

9. New Mexico

> 2013 firearm death rate: 15.4 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 2,983 (19th lowest) > Violent crime rate: 613.0 (2nd highest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 21.9% (2nd highest)  Like most states across the country, the largest proportion of gun-related deaths in New Mexico was attributable to suicide. The age-adjusted firearm suicide rate of 10.3 per 100,000 was the ninth highest rate in the country. New Mexico also had the highest death rate by legal intervention — deaths caused by police or other law enforcement officials — in the country. In general, New Mexico residents were exposed to a large number of crimes. The state reported 613 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, the second highest rate in the country. Low education levels and widespread poverty may partly explain the high gun violence and deaths. Nearly 22% of New Mexico’s population lived in poverty, substantially higher than the national poverty rate of 15.8%. Additionally, only 84.3% of adults had at least a high school diploma, the sixth lowest rate in the country.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3csd5HkIu  Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook

8. Oklahoma

8. Oklahoma > 2013 firearm death rate: 16.5 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 5,352 (23rd highest) > Violent crime rate: 441.2 (12th highest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 16.8% (16th highest)  Gun-related homicides and suicides were both relatively high in Oklahoma. At least 433 Oklahomans, or 11.1 per 100,000, took their own life with a gun, the sixth highest rate in the country. There were 4.8 gun-related homicides per 100,000 residents, the 10th highest rate nationwide. Like all of the states with the most gun violence, Oklahoma also does not require a permit to purchase a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. Additionally, Oklahoma households were among the poorest in the country with an annual median income of $45,690.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3csde63KX  Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook

7. Wyoming

> 2013 firearm death rate: 16.5 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 879 (7th lowest) > Violent crime rate: 205.1 (4th lowest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 10.9% (6th lowest)  With the second highest firearm-related suicide rate, Wyoming residents were more than twice as likely to commit suicide as residents across the nation. More than 87% of firearm deaths in Wyoming were due to suicide, considerably higher than the 63% of all gun-related fatalities across the country. Unlike other states with high rates of gun-violence, however, Wyoming residents were well-educated. Roughly 94% of adults 25 and older had at least graduated from high school, the highest rate in the country. Despite the high rate of gun-violence, other types of crimes were relatively uncommon. Just over 205 violent crimes were reported per 100,000 residents, one of the lowest rates in the country.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3cse45v3I  Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook

6. Arkansas

> 2013 firearm death rate: 16.7 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 4,478 (24th lowest) > Violent crime rate: 460.3 (10th highest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 19.7% (4th highest)  A typical household in Arkansas earned $40,511 in 2013, nearly the lowest such figure in the country. Additionally, just 20.6% of adults had at least a bachelor’s degree, the third lowest rate nationwide. The low incomes and education levels may have contributed to Arkansas’ high gun-related deaths. There were 501 deaths by firearm in Arkansas, or 16.7 per 100,000, the sixth highest rate. Like other states in the country, nearly two-thirds of gun-related deaths were due to suicide. Like every state on this list, Arkansas’ gun laws are relatively permissive. Currently, no laws require that gun owners have permits for the purchase of shotguns, rifles, and handguns. Additionally, gun owners are not obligated to register their weapons.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3cseP9zGf  Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook

5. Montana

> 2013 firearm death rate: 16.8 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 1,540 (12th lowest) > Violent crime rate: 252.9 (11th lowest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 16.5% (19th highest)  Montana had the fifth highest rate of firearm deaths, at nearly 17 per 100,000 residents. Further, gun-related deaths have been steadily increasing since 2006. In fact, Montana registered the highest firearm death rate in the decade ending in 2013. Other types of crime — including rape, robbery, and motor vehicle theft — were relatively less common in the state. There were roughly 253 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, significantly lower than the violent crime rate across the nation of nearly 368 per 100,000. As in many of the states with high rates of gun deaths, suicides made up the vast majority of deaths. More than 85% of gun-deaths were due to suicide, the 10th highest such share in the country.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3csewrZbU  Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook

4. Alabama

> 2013 firearm death rate: 17.5 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 7,915 (16th highest) > Violent crime rate: 430.8 (14th highest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 18.7% (7th highest)  Nearly 19% of Alabama residents lived below the poverty line, the seventh highest rate in the country. Additionally, the state had among the worst educational attainment rates nationwide, which may have contributed to the high gun-death rate. Between 2004 and 2013, an annual average of 16.6 people were killed by firearms, the fourth highest rate in the country. Despite a drop in 2011, the firearm death rate increased to the state’s 10-year high in 2013. Other types of crime in Alabama were also prevalent. There were 430.8 violent crimes reported per 100,000, a higher rate than the 367.9 violent crimes across the nation.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3csfM1vdi

3. Mississippi

3. Mississippi > 2013 firearm death rate: 17.7 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 5,056 (24th highest) > Violent crime rate: 274.6 (18th lowest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 24.0% (the highest)  With 24% of its residents living in poverty, Mississippi had the highest poverty rate in the country. Poverty and low educational attainment rates may contribute to higher rates of gun-related deaths. Mississippi had the second highest gun-related homicide rate in the country at 7.4 homicides per 100,000 residents. In general, crime was not particularly prevalent. There were just 274.6 violent crimes reported per 100,000, compared with 367.9 such crimes per 100,000 across the country. Mississippi also led the country in unintentional deaths by a firearm, with 0.6 deaths occurring for every 100,000 people, three-times more frequent than across the country.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3csfa6B5z  Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook

2. Louisiana

> 2013 firearm death rate: 19.1 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 8,552 (13th highest) > Violent crime rate: 518.5 (5th highest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 19.8% (3rd highest)  Louisiana was the only state with the most gun violence where firearm-related suicides accounted for less than half of all gun deaths. In fact, homicides accounted for roughly 51% of all gun deaths in the state. As a result, Louisiana had the highest gun-related homicide rate in the country, at 9.7 murders per 100,000 residents. Louisiana also had the highest average firearm death rate in the country over the 10 years ending in 2013, when there were 18.8 firearm deaths per 100,000 in the state, compared with 10.2 across the country. The high number of gun deaths may be tied to gun policy. Louisiana, like many of the states on this list, does not require gun owners to have a permit to purchase a firearm, nor must they register their weapons.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3csfnFtFI  Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook

1. Alaska

> 2013 firearm death rate: 19.6 per 100,000 > Total firearm deaths 2004-2013: 1,256 (10th lowest) > Violent crime rate: 640.4 (the highest) > Permit required to buy handgun: No > Poverty rate: 9.3% (2nd lowest)  There were roughly 20 firearm deaths per 100,000 residents in Alaska, nearly double the national rate. As in many other states with high gun-death rates, the vast majority of deaths were the result of suicide. Unlike most states on this list, however, Alaskan households were quite wealthy. A typical household earned $72,237, roughly $20,000 more than a typical household across the nation. Other types of crime were also more common in the state. In fact, Alaska had the highest violent crime rate in the country at more than 640 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.  Read more: 10 States With the Most Gun Violence - 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/06/10/10-states-with-the-most-gun-violence/#ixzz3csgEi600  Follow us: @247wallst on Twitter | 247wallst on Facebook

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.