Gun Group Likens Pfleger to the ‘Militant, Terrorist-Like ISIS’

A group which identifies itself as being pro Right to Keep and Bear Arms (RKBA) called Father Michael L. Pfleger a “militant, gun-grabber” priest and likened him to the militant Jihadist ISIS group who are killing innocent people in Iraq and Syria.

There is going to be a showdown 10 a.m. today outside of Chuck’s Gun Shop, 14310 Indiana, Riverdale, Illinois, between this pro-gun groups and the Pfleger/Sarah Brady Handgun Control coalition. However, sources tell this reporter the Riverdale police have allegedly erected barricades and the pro-gun group plans to arrive early to “take up all of the parking.”

The RKBA issued an alert denouncing Pfleger’ coalition calling them a bunch of “gun grabbers/anti-gunner.’

Pfleger is joining the Sarah Brady Handgun Control group along with the Bloomberg Moms calling for sensible gun laws. However, the pro-gun group pegged Pfleger, as a “long-time anti-gun activists, a militant priest” who “entertains by his special brand of “frothy-lipped lunacy” and compared Pfleger to the ISIS group

Interviewed last night while Father led scores of supporters in the rain on his weekly anti-violence march, Father Pfleger said, “I am speaking peace. I am acting for reform, they are the ones pushing guns. Who are the terrorists”? asked Pfleger.

The call for gun control has also led Father Pfleger to join elected and law enforcement officials to call for the passage of a law restricting the age of children at gun ranges this after a 9-year-old girl accidently killed her instructor.

The death of a gun instructor just outside of Las Vegas at the hands of his student, a 9-year-old girl he was showing how to shoot an UZI, has prompted an Illinois elected official, a popular priest and a cop who lost his son to gun violence to voice outrage and call for tighter age restrictions at gun ranges.

The accidental death of a gun range instructor at the hands of the girl at the popular “Bullets and Burgers” gun range has sparked shock and anger from Illinois Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-16^th), Saint Sabina’s Father Michael L. Pfleger, and Chicago Police Commander Ron Holt, the father of slain 16-year-old Blair Holt who was killed on May 10, 2007 while aboard a CTA bus and Mark Walsh, campaign director, Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.

They were referring to the little girl who, along with her parents, Alex Gen and Alison MacLachlan, last month visiting the popular Last Stop gun range just outside of Las Vegas. It is a policy of this gun range to allow children who are 8-years-old and over who are accompanied by an adult, to shoot weapons, according to the gun range operator, San Scarmardo.

The Uzi was admittedly too much for the girl to handle and when she fired the weapon, she lost control and the instructor was hit. He later died at a nearby hospital. The family’s lawyer, Kevin Walsh, said the family is ‘devastated.”

But, if sensible gun laws were in place like restricting the ages of youth practicing at gun ranges, perhaps Vacca would be alive today. Local elected officials and activists say it’s time for a change.

“Given that in Illinois you have to be 18 to purchase cigarettes, 18 to obtain a driver’s license and 21 to purchase alcohol, it would seem only logical that certain restrictions should be placed on children handling lethal and dangerous firearms,” said Collins.

Walsh echoed a similar concern saying, “Once again, we see a tragic result from the easy access to firearms.  No 9-year- old needs to be learning how to fire a semi-automatic weapon plain and simple.”

The incident also upset Father Pfleger, a long time anti-gun activists, who said, “The shooting by the 9-year-old girl is another horrific reminder of the sick country we have become where we think putting  UZI’s in the hands of children is acceptable and places called Guns and Burgers is Natural.”

According to Pfleger, Chuck’s Gun Shop “has sold over 1500 crime guns.”

In support of the protest against Chuck’s Gun Shop was Chicago police commander Ron Holt who said allowing a child to shoot guns at a range is “inappropriate and a health risk” as evidenced like this and similar stories, he said.

“I think some level of commonsense thinking should be used by parents. It is over zealousness to take a child to a gun range but anything can go wrong even if you use the most precautionary measures,” Holt stated.

He said there should be a law passed that includes the type of weapon a youth can fire, age restrictions, body type and understanding of firing a weapon. “It is poor judgment to allow a child to fire an Uzi. I would never let a 9-year-old child of mine handle a real firearm.”

However, the NRA and other pro-gun groups encourage children and women to fire weapons. Sources say a group identified as being pro RKBA (Right to Keep and Bear Arms) sent out an urgent alert denouncing the coalition of “gun grabbers/anti-gunners” to meet Pfleger is joining the Sarah Brady Handgun Control group along with the Bloomberg Moms. The alert pegged Pfleger, a long-time anti-gun activists, as a “militant priest” who “entertains by his special brand of “frothy-lipped lunacy” and compared him to a “militant ISIS” group.

A copy of that alert stated that “It is very important that we get a maximum turn out of gun owners…” and urged them to take that opportunity to patronize Chuck’s gun shop. The RKBA group asked their supporters to arrive at 9:15 a.m. and to wear gold shirts or hats.

The Riverdale police are expected to be on hand to control possible clashing of the opposing groups.

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.