The mood after the latest mass shooting—and it’s telling that “latest mass shooting” is such an unremarkable phrase—is one of dark resignation. Why, after so many shootings, so many new records set for death tolls, would this event in which 59 people and counting lost their lives cause lawmakers to suddenly change their minds? The answer from an exhausted commentariat seems to be it won’t.

Many of the writers, commentators, and comedians who would usually use their platforms to call for change after an event like this have skipped ahead to the disappointment phase, the phase that comes after nothing gets done, aware that their best efforts have been and would be in vain.

“I’m not sure what else I can say,” said a defeated Seth Meyers to his Late Night audience on Monday night. “I also know nothing I say will make any difference at all.”

But if nothing is ever going to change, Meyers just asks that lawmakers stop stringing us along and admit it. To those members of Congress who say that directly after a mass shooting is “not the time” to discuss gun control, Meyers implored:

“When you say—which you always say— ‘Now is not the time to talk about it,’ what you really mean is, ‘There is never a time to talk about it.’ And it would be so much more honest if you would just admit that your plan is to never talk about it and never take any action.”

“Just say it: ‘We’re never going to talk about it,’ ” he added. “If it’s going to be thoughts and prayers from here on out the least you can do is be honest about that.”

Though Congress does seem to have one ace up their sleeve that Meyers can see: Miracles. If Rep. Steve Scalise can survive a shooting and return to the House on account of a miracle, perhaps miracles—aided and abetted by “thoughts and prayers”—are all victims of gun violence can hope for from their Republican representatives.

Meyers sandwiched his despondent criticism between praise for the heroic first responders who risked their lives to save strangers. “It always seems like the worst displays of humanity in this country are immediately followed by the best,” he said.

But even that admission was followed by more despair, as gun violence often is. “And then sadly, that is followed by no action at all,” Meyers continued. “And then it repeats itself.”