Americans woke up Monday morning to the horror that a white domestic terrorist shot and killed an estimated 58 people and injured more than 500 more at a country music festival in Las Vegas.
In the aftermath of the shooting, which has now surpassed Orlando as the most deadly mass shooting in modern history, lawmakers and elected officials posted heartfelt "thoughts and prayers" to social media.
While this is certainly a kind gesture, it ultimately rings hollow when you've also accepted substantial amounts of money from the National Rifle Association, a lobbying group whose sole agenda is to roadblock commonsense gun reform (like keeping guns away from the mentally ill, or mandatory background checks, or closing gun show loopholes).
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who received $9,900 from the NRA during the 2016 election cycle, is one of those lawmakers who tweeted his condolences Monday morning.
I’m praying for all the victims, their families, and our first responders in the #LasVegas#MandalayBay shooting.
According to theWashington Post, Rubio has accepted a total of $14,850 from the NRA as a Senator.
Why does this matter? Because this is the same NRA that just last June practically called for an all-out race war in a controversial Facebook ad aimed at arming NRA members against liberals and gun safety advocates.