Gun-control advert with chilling message goes viral as it takes aim at Americans who offer their 'thoughts and prayers' after shootings

An advert advocating for stricter gun control entitled 'Thoughts & Prayers' is causing a stir with its controversial message.

The 'Thoughts & Prayers' advert placed by Mothers Against Greg Abbott PAC, in collaboration with Mothers for Democracy was designed to highlight the issue of gun violence. It was released on December 14th, 2024 - the 11th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in which 26 women and children were killed.

The term 'thoughts and prayers' is a common expression frequently used to convey sympathy or condolences particularly in response to a mass shooting - but the gun control lobby believe such sentiments to be just empty words rather than action towards making things safer.

During the one-minute clip, a young girl is seen sitting at the edge of a pool reaching out for a flamingo floatie before accidentally falling into the water. 

A woman quickly runs to the pool, but rather than jumping in to rescue the child, she drops to her knees, clasps her hands, and begins to pray: 'Please God, save her. Do something. Save her.'

As the lifeless child floats in the background, several individuals approach the woman to express their condolences with such as: 'My thoughts and prayers are with you.' 

Driving the point home further, another scene sees a couple enjoying drinks in the same pool whilst a neighbor continues to mow his lawn while shouting, 'thoughts and prayers.' None take any action to save the drowning girl.

The advert notes: 'The number one killer of children in the United States is not drowning, car wrecks, or cancer. The #1 killer of children in the U.S. is gun violence. Thoughts and prayers are meaningless when you can act.' 

The clip has been shared on X garnering more than 4 million views with a further 16,000 reposts. 

In response to the powerful video, Mothers for Democracy issued a statement, highlighting how the video 'exposes the hypocrisy of those who offer 'thoughts and prayers' while continuing with their lives as if nothing has occurred. They would rather utter 'thoughts and prayers' than take action to save children's lives.'

Online the video appeared to spark some sharp reactions.

'18 year olds are not kids. Guns are not the number one killer of kids. Guns don't kill people. This video is disgusting. You grifters are horrible,' wrote one X user.

'This ad is ultimately mocking God and your belief in God. There is a special place for them,' wrote Will Johnson.

'This doesn’t make sense but is on brand divisive while blaming Christians Hateful Should be embarrassed, make a legal or political argument instead of using fear and blame while mocking religion,' argued one social media user.

'It's in the constitution and it's not going to change. Fix the root cause of the violence first. That would make more sense,' added another. 

'Pure Baloney! The #1 killer of children in the United States is abortion There, I said it If you don't get it... pray for wisdom,' said another unconvinced view. 

Texas already has a strong gun culture with some of the least restrictive gun control laws in the nation compared to some other states.

It's not the first time the term 'thought and prayers' has come in for criticism.  

Earlier this year, a Republican Texas Congressman questioned the faith of critics who said that prayer is not enough after the a mass shooting in his state took eight lives, including children. 

Rep. Keith Self suggested that God has complete control over our lives, and people who don't believe in the power of prayer following a mass shooting aren't true believers.

Self's comments came hours after a gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, a small suburb north of Dallas, killing eight people including children as young as five.

The shooting led to the usual call for 'thoughts and prayers' for those affected but during an interview on CNN it was put to Rep. Self, who represents Texas' 3rd Congressional District that includes Allen, that such sentiments are no longer enough.

'You know congressman, that is a common refrain after mass shootings, but many people argue that prayers are not cutting it. Prayers are not preventing the next mass shooting. What is your response to that criticism?' the anchor on CNN asked. 

But the Congressman appeared to have a prepared response

'Those are people that don't believe in an almighty God who is absolutely in control of our lives.'

'I'm a Christian. I believe that he is,' Self said assuredly. 'We have people with mental health that we are not taking care of.'

Self suggested that prayers did indeed have their place following violence and continued to offer up his own.

'We should be focused on the families. Prayers are important. Prayer is powerful in lives of those people who are devastated right now,' he said.

Self said that he did not want to turn the tragedy into a political point but noted how there was violence in  'big [Democrat] cities' after being asked if he was concerned about the rise of violent incidents across the US.   

Congressman Self gave the example of the city of Chicago that saw crime spike in 2022, while Allen, Texas, where the shooting occurred was by his definition a 'very safe area.'