The Illinois State Rifle Association
Several weeks ago, the ISRA was all atwitter after Chicago priest Michael Pfleger called for pro-gun legislators and a gun shop owner to be “snuffed out.”
I seriously doubt that Pfleger wanted to actually kill a pro-gun legislator, but his remarks were irresponsible. Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George was right to publicly rebuke him for his stupid statements.
After complaining about Pfleger, however, the rifle association has not — as of this writing — condemned the threats on Kotowski’s life. It has expressed zero concern for the senator’s safety or the safety of his staff and his family.
The group’s silence is deafening — and informative. It’s Johnny on the spot when a priest makes inflammatory remarks about the group’s own allies, but looks the other way when somebody on the opposite side of the political fence is threatened.
As Pfleger prepared to speak at another antigun rally last week, the ISRA sent out a news release whining that the state police exhibited a “double standard” when they refused to investigate the Catholic priest, but did check in on people who contacted Kotowski’s office. Later in the release, the gun group asked whether Pfleger would show some “dignity” at the antigun rally or once again behave like “an absurd — yet malevolent — cartoon character.”
But over the past several months, when I, and others, repeatedly pointed out that “malevolent” comments were popping up all over the Internet about Kotowski, the rifle association remained mum.
One person wrote on a pro-gun Web site the other day: “Sounds to me like Sen. Kotowski deserves to be threatened. Why, if he were to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head three times, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.”
The people who run the rifle association ought to look in the mirror the next time they scream about “double standards.”
Check out Rob’s last post on this over at Illinois Reason. The comments are illustrative of the problem.
When your article speaks of Rich Millers post and thinly veiled threats,Sen.Kotowski’s staffers and their heebie-jeebies (define heebie-jeebies) and other referrences. Why would any non rational and uneducated individual/s not think that the I.S.R.A. of which I am NOT a member is somehow not responsible for any and or all angst regarding Mr.Kowtowski and his blatant disregard for the Constitution….
To me the heebie-jeebies would be a childish feeling much like that which permeats the Left wingers due to their fear of a free populace.
Bill St. Clair
Sounds to me like Sen. Kotowski deserves to be threatened. Why, if he were to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head three times, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
Bear
I think the senator has miscalculated. Instead of intimidating people, he has
incited their anger, and given credence to the “tin foil hat” crowd.* This is
also fodder for the civil libertarians who aren’t necessarily on board with the
second ammendment. Stunts like this could get the ACLU and NRA working
together where normally you couldn’t get them in the same room.
Bucctoo
Fat load of good that’ll do. Politics as Soviet there now. The AG will just recommend Blagogewhatever give the Kotowski the Order of Lenin.
Kotowski and dickaDaly are prolly having a great chuckle over the abuse of powers as usual there.
I agree with OTRN vaporize Chicago(get the Dog out first) and the rest of Illinois is pretty nice.
Been there to DeKalb a few times and had good times with decent people…Chicago has to go.
Now, I don’t think the ISRA believes the above. However, the ISRA has not just been silent on the threats to Kotowski, but actively tried to undermine the claims of Kotowski’s staff that anyone threatened Kotowski. Bill St. Clair does above. Yet ISRA cannot condemn the threats as Cardinal George condemned Pfleger’s comment. It’s not just a double standard, it’s a actively giving dangerous people cover for their behavior.
ISRA doesn’t lose anything by condemning threats of violence. The lose a lot when they try and pretend those threats didn’t happen.
ArchPundit