Wishing for more from Stefanik in gun violence response

It saddened me to read the response of Rep. Elise Stefanik to the racial massacre in Buffalo. Instead of offering concern and contrition that there could even be a possibility of a link between her Facebook ad last fall and the actions of the alleged gunman, she offered through her spokesperson only a tired, familiar response: “We’ve never been in favor of ‘replacement theory,’” said Alex degrasse, Stefanik’s spokesman. He added that the congresswoman “has never advocated for any racist position or made a racist statement.”

While there is no direct line between one person’s words and another’s actions, there is a responsibility on the part of us all, especially political leaders and the megaphone

they possess, to ensure as much as humanly possible against any links. And although the words from her ad may not include “replacement theory,” they are not far away from it either: “Radical Democrats are planning their most aggressive move yet: a PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION. Their plan to grant amnesty to 11 MILLION illegal immigrants will overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington.”

Also absent from her response was any action on her part to deal with the pain and trauma that engulfs mass-casualty events. Does she plan to visit the area and perhaps offer assistance to her congressional colleagues to hasten the reopening of the Tops supermarket where the tragedy occurred? Has she revisited the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill as they dealt with horrific human events and, through their words, sought to instill hope and understanding?

Let us all endeavor to reflect upon our words and actions as others may respond to them in our troubled, beleaguered world, rather than merely the points we wish to make.

Roseann Quinn Renssleaer