Why ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ Is a Double-Edged Sword

After the horrific shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday, a rhetorical tennis match ensued. Some politicians offered up their "thoughts and prayers," as many have following other mass shootings. Others responded by criticizing "thoughts and prayers" as a pathetic substitute for taking concrete action. On Wednesday night's episode of Full Frontal, Samantha Bee even organized a gospel choir to parody the phrase.