For people who rail against "political correctness," the NRA is sure doing a damn good job of making sure anyone who dares voice their displeasure with them is squelched. The mayhem too many guns is leaving in our cities is all too real, but ordinary people who aren't in love with the barrel of their big guns speak at their own peril. And if you're a priest, well, just forget about it.
People seated in the pews booed and cheered the priest as he started talking. Many also heckled attendees that sided with Father Pfleger, who is well-known on Chicago’s South Side.
“I want people who own guns to be held responsible for the guns that they own,” he told the crowd in a speech aired by WGN, denying that he is against the Second Amendment.
Last weekend, Pfleger gave an impassioned speech at a protest in front Chuck’s Gun Shop in Riverdale, a suburb south of Chicago.
“I’m just tired, tired of the NRA. Tired of them prostituting themselves and buying politicians in this country. I’m tired of gun manufacturers and John Riggio from Chuck’s making money off the blood running down our streets and our children laying in cemeteries,” Pfleger said during the protest, with Rev. Jesse Jackson standing behind him. “See what I want is for Chuck’s to be responsible. Title guns like cars. You title a car, title a gun.”
During his Thursday speech, the priest discussed with the congregation what he believed the Catholic response should be to gun violence. WGN reports some audience members had lost loved ones, and were also heckled by pro-gun activists. At one point, a woman can be seen waving her arm and chanting “shame on you.”
I'm tired of them too, Father Pfleger. I'm tired of them buying our politicians and making people so paranoid their children die out of curiosity when they touch Mommy's gun, just like this three-year old did yesterday.
But perish the thought that we would dare speak out against the almighty gun.
