According to potential GOP candidate Bobby Jindal, innocents getting shot in church is one of those things we need to just accept. And if President Obama wants to do something about it other than pray, well, he’s just being shamefully divisive.
Louisiana governor Jindal visited Your World yesterday where he commented on the shooting at a Charleston, South Carolina black church.
Host Neil Cavuto all but prompted Jindal to attack Obama by starting the discussion with a clip of President Obama’s remarks in which he said:
Now is the time for mourning and for healing. But let’s be clear, at some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries. …It is in our power to do something about it.
I say that recognizing the politics in this town foreclose a lot of those avenues right now.
Jindal didn’t waste any time blasting the president – and blaming him for politicizing.
JINDAL: I think it was completely shameful within 24 hours of this awful tragedy, nine people killed in a Bible study in a church. …Within 24 hours, we’ve got the president trying to score cheap political points. Why not have this debate next week? His job as commander-in-chief is to help the country begin the healing process. Now’s the time to be hugging these families, now’s the time to be praying for these families, now’s the time to be coming together.
He’s got a job as President to help begin the healing process to unify us. For whatever reason, he always tries to divide us.
But a presidential candidate dividing us is A-OK.
Jindal was asked whether he’d “rein in that easy access to guns” if he were president. His answer was another divisive attack.
JINDAL: The President and I disagree on the Second Amendment. …I’m not for stopping law abiding citizens from being able to exercise their Second Amendment rights, but now’s not the time. …Look, there are children wondering why do things like this happen? There are families at home trying to understand how does this happen in a church?
Cavuto pressed Jindal on the gun issue. “Do you think easy access to guns has anything to do with this or easier?”
Jindal dodged the question with more partisan rhetoric.
JINDAL: He could’ve emulated what (Republican) Nikki Haley did. What a great governor of her state, coming forward and speaking for the people of South Carolina, saying our hearts are broken. …The president …could’ve said, instead of talking about politics today, we’re not Democrats, Republicans, independents, blacks, whites, we’re Americans, and we all need to worship together.
Jindal went on to suggest that all we need is more prayer – and a more Christian president.
JINDAL: The problem is, this president thinks the government can answer every problem. There is evil in the world. Ironically, I was in South Carolina just a few days before this, calling for a spiritual revival. And the reality is, we know there’s good and evil. As a father, I’m gonna teach my kids that sometimes bad things do happen to good people. …We can’t live our lives in fear.
…Government’s not going to eradicate evil. And that’s why it would be also a good time to call America to prayer. This president doesn’t seem to like to do that. That is an important part of our country’s tradition.
Watch Jindal exploit tragedy in the name of God below, from the June 18 Your World.