Father Pfleger Squares Off With White Cops, Racists, Vets Over Illegal Tickets and the Chiraq Flag

Whites warn Pfleger not to come to Beverly

By Chinta Strausberg

Angered that a Chicago policeman has reportedly ticketed some of his members Sunday he thinks out of revenge because he’s calling for the prosecution of a cop who shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, Father Michael L. Pfleger is asking is members to bring their tickets to him today.

 
“I guess some cop is upset with me, and decided to take it out on my parishioners…,” Pfleger wrote on his Facebook page and also addressed his congregation Sunday on this hot button issue.

 
He said Saturday and Sunday during church service “a plainclothes cop with a gray SUV with M plates ticketed folks up and down Throop Street.

 
“If you are one of those who received a ticket bring it to me today…all this while the City left our main driveway to the parking lot tore up all weekend….

 
“I don’t know whether it is our flag at half-mast or me going to Beverly…but you have messed with the wrong church,” an angry Pfleger said. Thursday evening Pfleger instructed his maintenance man to remove the Chiraq flag and to post the U.S. flag at half-mast.

 
Pfleger is not sure if the parking tickets were a result of the flag or his invitation to St. Barnabus Church to discuss violence because he’s been threatened by whites on both of those issues.

 
Explaining, Pfleger said he was invited to be one of three panelists at St. Barnabus Church, 10134 So. Longwood, headed by Rev. William E Malloy, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, February 27, 2016, to talk about violence, but that, long with the flag incident, is when the hate calls and e-mails began pouring in for two-days and nights.

 
As a result, Father Pfleger was the victim of a triple verbal attack and threats by a white man and a bunch of bikers who came by the church around 6 a.m. Friday threatening to tear down the Chiraq and U.S. flag that was flying at half-mast outside of the Saint Sabina Academy, 7801 So. Throop St.

“The other day I asked our maintenance to put up the flag…put it half-mast. It’s a tradition in this country for us to lower the flag at half-mast whenever there is a tragedy or some serious death…an American tragedy…,” Pfleger told his congregation Sunday.

“It was my belief that when we had the highest murder and shootings in January in over 16-years, that is an American tragedy. We may not want to talk about it and we may not want to address it, but it’s a tragedy,” said Pfleger.

He was referring to the Chicago Police Department’s January report stating that there were 51 homicides recorded in January 2016 the bloodiest since January of 2000.

“Since November, the Chiraq flag has been hanging up there; so I asked the maintenance person to please put the American flag up at half-mast which he did,” said Pfleger.

However, Pfleger said that evening he received numerous calls claiming he had broken the law because the Chiraq flag was flying over the American flag. Pfleger said he told the maintenance man to change the position of the flag in the morning and to take the Chiraq flag down. “I certainly didn’t think it was worth asking him to come in from work in the evening to change the position of the flag.

“The next morning at 7 a.m. he was going to do that but at 6 a.m. I had a number of veterans and supremacists who came here. One man was in a truck with two other people came first before the bikers came. He told me he was about to come and rip down the flag and cut the rope and do this and do that.”

Pfleger told the man that he was not going to stand there and let him destroy his property. They exchanged a few words and Pfleger said, “He looked at me like I was crazy. He was right.” Face-to-face, Pfleger told him, “You’re looking at a really crazy white boy right now” and that is when a bunch of bikers pulled up. Father Pfleger stood his ground and they left.

Sunday, he told his members “every once in awhile my Martin has to step to the left while my Malcolm rises up,” he said referring to his mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Pfleger had the Chiraq flag removed and the U.S. flag erected at half-mast but that’s when the calls and e-mails began pouring in for two-days and nights complaining about the flag. “It’s flying half-mast, and it will continue to fly half-mast while violence rages in this city.”

“It’s funny, nobody was calling me about the violence…or how can we help with the violence or get involved, or how can we save lives, but sadly we’re more concerned about a position of a flag than bodies laying on our streets in Chicago and that is something really sick we need to deal with in America,” Pfleger said.

But that was the first insult. During Sunday’s worship service, Pfleger said a policeman ticketed a number of cars outside of his church. While he is not sure why, he said he did receive calls from white policemen who accused him of being anti-police.

Some group of police called him anti-police. He asked one of them why is he anti-police. “Where did you get that from”? asked Pfleger. The man told him, “When the video came out and you said Van Dyke should be taken off the street and any officer who lied on their report should be taken off the street. “

A stunned Pfleger said, “A guy who shoots somebody 16 times in the back and I say he should come off the street and that’s anti-police and people who lied on the report…. Tell me anybody here could lie on a report at your job and you would not be disciplined. So, if that is anti-police, I’m guilty. I’m anti-police because I believe bad police should be off the street just like bad people should be off the street, ” Pfleger said raising his hand.

“We cannot allow people to shoot and kill without responsibility,” he bellowed. “They asked me if I’m still going to go” to St. Barnabas Church. He responded, “Hell, yes I’m going to go unless you disinvite me. This shows you just how crazy we are.”

Pfleger said someone said that violence is not their problem. It’s not our problem. “Who are ‘their,’” he asked. “Our world is broken.”

Father Pfleger said the ticketing of the cars could be from his being invited to St. Barnabas church to talk about violence in the city. “I was asked to be on a panel in Beverly to talk about violence in our city. I’m just one person of a three-panel.

“All of a sudden there was this great Internet push, people calling up St. Barnabas” where people suggested they withhold their offerings, take their children out of the school and there would be a protest at the event if the priest of St. Barnabas didn’t disinvite him. “Really, to talk about violence…,” said Pfleger.

When asked by some whites who don’t want him to come to St. Barnabas, Father Pfleger, said, “Hell yes I’m coming unless I’m disinvited.”

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.