Apparently, it’s ‘thoughts and prayers’ for the dying in Pittsburgh

Fig. 1. “Ed Gainey poses with CeaseFirePA during the 2020 Women’s March in Downtown Pittsburgh.” Photograph by Megan Gloeckler, undated, via Pittsburgh City Paper,^[1] fair use.

Are we at the “thoughts and prayers”^[2] stage yet? Because I’ve already explained what needs to be done^[3] about a surge in violence in Pittsburgh.^[4] (The short version is that Mayor Ed Gainey needs to follow through on his campaign promises.^[5])

One question posed to the mayor referenced troubled youths causing mischief Downtown. Last month, a fight between teens in Downtown Pittsburgh caused the smashing of a hair salon window. A Pittsburgh police officer was injured while attempting to break up a fight Tuesday evening in Market Square.

“We know there’s a bigger situation we need to address,” [Ed] Gainey said. “We’re working on that. … The problem didn’t arrive yesterday, and we won’t solve it tomorrow.”^[6]

First, that’s as vague an answer as they get. Second, it fails to foreclose an interpretation that Gainey is viewing this issue in terms of guns,^[7] violence, and crime, even the band-aid lens of “public health,”^[8] rather than the much larger issues of social inequality and despair that he, himself, talked about even at his inauguration.^[9]

This is a call for peace in our city. This is a call that we’re putting out right now. We do not have to turn to guns in order to solve our problems. We don’t need to do that. We need to put the guns down. We need to value these lives so a 4-year-old doesn’t get shot again.^[10]

It’s not enough to say you “value these lives” or to express an intention of “valu[ing] these lives.” You have to actually, concretely value them. You have to make a tangible difference in “these lives.”

If you don’t, then all these empty words are just hot air. And so far, that’s all I’m seeing here.

1. ^[1]Charlie Wolfson, “Neighborhood groups try to curb shootings as Pittsburgh’s mayoral campaign puts political focus on gun violence,” Pittsburgh City Paper, October 20, 2021, https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/neighborhood-groups-try-to-curb-shootings-as-pittsburghs-mayoral-campaign-puts-political-focus-on-gun-violence/Content?oid=20401296↩
2. ^[2]Abdullah Shihipar, “The Kind of Prayer That Could Make a Difference,” Atlantic, June 1, 2022, https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/06/only-thoughts-and-prayers-we-should-offer-uvalde/661156/↩
3. ^[3]David Benfell, “To Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey,” Not Housebroken, October 30, 2022, https://disunitedstates.org/2022/10/30/to-pittsburgh-mayor-ed-gainey/↩
4. ^[4]Justin Vellucci, “Pittsburgh’s soaring homicide rate leaves officials baffled,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, October 27, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburghs-soaring-homicide-rate-leaves-officials-baffled/↩
5. ^[5]David Benfell, “To Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey,” Not Housebroken, October 30, 2022, https://disunitedstates.org/2022/10/30/to-pittsburgh-mayor-ed-gainey/↩
6. ^[6]Justin Vellucci, “Mayor Ed Gainey takes gun violence concerns to social media after 4-year-old’s death,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, December 2, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/mayor-ed-gainey-take-gun-violence-concerns-to-pittsburghers-via-social-media-after-4-year-olds-death/↩
7. ^[7]Justin Vellucci, “Pittsburgh’s soaring homicide rate leaves officials baffled,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, October 27, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburghs-soaring-homicide-rate-leaves-officials-baffled/↩
8. ^[8]Jesse Bunch and Hannah Wyman, “Mayor Gainey calls for more peace efforts after string of shootings leaves 2 dead, several injured across Pittsburgh,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 9, 2022, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/08/08/pittsburgh-shootings-this-weekend-california-kirkbride-uptown-highland-park-police/stories/202208070185↩
9. ^[9]Julia Felton, “Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey promises to unite city in inaugural address,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 3, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-mayor-ed-gainey-promises-to-unite-city-in-inaugural-address/; Jordana Rosenfeld, “Ed Gainey sworn in as Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor; addresses questions on policing,” Pittsburgh City Paper, January 3, 2022, https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/ed-gainey-sworn-in-as-pittsburghs-first-black-mayor-addresses-questions-on-policing/Content?oid=20862169↩
10. ^[10]Megan Guza, “Pittsburgh leaders push for answers and peace after shooting death of 4-year-old in Lincoln-Lemington,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 3, 2022, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/12/02/pittsburgh-violence-double-shooting-stabbing-beltzhoover-homewood-lincoln-lemington/stories/202212020080↩