18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Hope and a Prayer The Diocese of Monterey finally weighs in on a school shooting—but why only now? By Bradley Zeve FORUM Another back-to-school season, another mass shooting—this should not be what we accept as normal, ever. This one killed two children, an 8- and a 10-year-old, and injured 18 others and three adults, on their first week at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Aug. 27. Hours later, the Weekly received a press release from the Diocese of Monterey with a statement from Bishop Daniel E. Garcia. “Our hearts and prayers are with the parish and school families of Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following the mass-casualty shooting that occurred during their first all-school mass,” Garcia said. “It is hard to comprehend how such violence could be directed at innocent children and the community gathered in worship. With fervor, we pray for all the victims of this tragedy.” That’s good news, right, that the bishop is publicly commenting on a mass shooting, taking a stand? Well, not entirely. It’s maddening to me when those in leadership call for prayers and good wishes after traumatic events. It’s not enough—we need to adopt smart public policy. We need decisive action in times of crisis, and prayer seems empty after elementary school kids get gunned down—in school, for godsakes. The U.S. consistently has firearm homicide rates 26 times higher than other high-income nations. Between 2000 and 2022 there were 109 mass shootings in the U.S. The next-highest country was France, which experienced six. Schools and workplaces are where the vast majority of these shootings take place—nearly one in every 64 days. As a religious leader, the bishop can and should pray for victims of a shooting. That is comforting, but for it to matter he should also advocate for sensible changes that could prevent it from happening again. How about universal background checks before firearm sales? Red flag laws to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed to be a threat to themselves or others? Bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines? What deer hunter needs to own an AK-47? We can have the right to bear arms and sensible gun laws—a both/and. “Let us pray for an end to the violence that continues to plague our communities, that God’s peace may reign in every heart,” Garcia said. I agree, but prayer will not end the epidemic of gun violence. What prompted me to write a response to the bishop’s statement is that this is the first such statement we’ve received from the Diocese in response to a mass shooting, but it came only after a gunman opened fire at a Catholic school mass. Why no statement after shooters at a school in Columbine killed 13 students, or after 19 kids were murdered in an elementary school in Uvalde, or after 20 children were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary? If he prays for some, why not all? As Nelson Mandela read at his inauguration, written by Marianne Williamson: “We are all children of God, and when we shine our light we give permission to others to shine theirs.” Bradley Zeve is Founder & CEO of the Monterey County Weekly and Monterey County Now. OPINION Prayer will not end the epidemic of gun violence. Don’t miss this opportunity to stand out among the finest arts available in Monterey County and deliver your marketing message to the Weekly’s active and engaged audience. FALL INTO THE ARTS Be a part of Monterey County Weekly’s annual Fall Arts Issue Fall Arts Preview FOR MORE INFO: 831-394-5656 sales@montereycountynow.com ADVERTISING DEADLINE: September 22 PUBLICATION DATE: September 25
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