We need to talk.

Specifically, we need to talk about guns and gun control.

In the wake of tragedies there is a rush to offer thoughts and prayers and, too often, little else. This is as true in the aftermath of hurricanes and floods as it is in the wake of mass shootings. Too often we hear that it is too soon to talk about climate change. Too often we hear it is too soon to talk about gun control. Too often we hear that we shouldn’t politicize these issues.

But if political action can save lives, why should we be ashamed of politicizing anything? If political action can do good—and it can do good—what is the fear?

Well, we know the answer. The fear is the ballot box.

In the wake of Harvey, I asked Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Randy Weber whether the historic flooding that wiped out thousands of homes in Port Arthur had caused the men to reconsider the threat from climate change.

Both of them said it is essentially too early to talk about the thing that caused untold heartbreak and devastation.

Now, over the weekend, Las Vegas faced a different sort of disaster though, like climate change, its origins and its solutions lie in part in the hands of men. These disasters are tragic and the dedicated and persistent inaction from our political leadership in the face of these tragedies is little more than mockery in the face of tragedy.

We need more than thoughts and prayers. We need more than nothing.

Given the fact that the Republican Party would not consider talk of gun control after its members were targeted and wounded in June at a Congressional baseball practice leaves me with little expectation of action now that nearly 60 people were slaughtered and hundreds more wounded.

Five years ago 20 children were slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in addition to eight adults and that, too, brought no new federal gun legislation.

We are told from birth that we can be anything and do anything. All we must do is try.

But too many politicians cannot and will not talk about climate change or gun violence. They won’t even try.

What does a conversation about gun violence look like?

Well, it starts with research and facts and data—which are hard to come by thanks to the Republican Party.

In 1996 the Centers for Disease Control stopped studying the causes of gun violence after the NRA accused the nonpartisan CDC of promoting gun control through its research. This prompted Congress to threaten the agency’s funding. After that, federally funded gun research dried up.

After the Charleston, South Carolina church massacre, the Congressional Appropriations Committee explicitly rejected an appropriations amendment that would have paid for studying the cause of gun violence.

The CDC is tasked with studying public health and recommending measures to improve public health but thanks to the GOP, gun violence is not included in any of those studies.

It seems to me that anyone who claims to be pro-life ought to at least spare some consideration for the people who are left to suffer from devastating flooding and gun attacks.

I am not suggesting any particular gun control legislation. I don’t know what, if anything, would have prevented the Las Vegas attack. I don’t know what would have prevented any of the dozens of mass shootings that have become too common.

I do know, however, that without any research and without any willingness to seek any kind of political, bipartisan and common-sense solution to these attacks, any suggestions are pointless.

Until Republicans are willing to talk about these big, serious and, yes, scary problems, there is no point in suggesting anything.

As we recover from Harvey and as Las Vegas picks up the pieces left behind from a maniac with a gun, we must talk about these things. We must try to fix what is broken.

Anyone who says it’s too soon to talk about this stuff is lying.

The truth is, we are well past due for a conversation.

We need to talk.