The Hill<\/p>\n
Rep.\u00a0Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(D-N.Y.) on Friday tore into the National Rifle Association (NRA) after at least one gunman opened fire at two New Zealand mosques,\u00a0leaving at least 49 people dead<\/a>.<\/p>\n The New York lawmaker condemned the fatal attack on Twitter,\u00a0focusing her message\u00a0on the American gun group.<\/p>\n \u201cAt 1st I thought of saying, ‘Imagine being told your house of faith isn\u2019t safe anymore.’ But I couldn\u2019t say \u2018imagine,\u2019\u201d the lawmaker wrote, citing the deadly shootings at a Charleston, S.C., church, a Pittsburgh synagogue and a Sutherland Springs, Texas, church.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat good are your thoughts & prayers when they don\u2019t even keep the pews safe?\u201d She added.<\/p>\n Ocasio-Cortez noted that \u201cthoughts and prayers\u201d is a reference to the NRA phrase she says is \u201cused to deflect conversation away from policy change during tragedies.\u201d<\/p>\n (\u201cThoughts and prayers\u201d is reference to the NRA\u2019s phrase used to deflect conversation away from policy change during tragedies. Not directed to PM Ardern, who I greatly admire.)<\/p>\n — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 15, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n