Garry McCarthy, Chicago Top Cop, Calls Gun Laws 'Government-Sponsored Racism'; Right Responds

Gun rights advocates and other right-wing groups responded harshly on Friday to some strong words on gun control by Chicago's new top cop.

Garry McCarthy, brought in as the superintendent of police by newly elected mayor Rahm Emanuel, made the comments at St. Sabina, a liberal black church in the heart of Chicago's South Side. The Auburn-Gresham neighborhood where the church is located has struggled with gun violence for years, and its pastor, Father Michael Pfleger, is an outspoken supporter of limiting gun rights.

So McCarthy was playing to his audience when he made remarks like these (at around 5:40 in the video):

"So here’s what I want to tell you. See, let’s see if we can make a connection here. Slavery. Segregation. Black codes. Jim Crow. What did they all have in common? Anybody getting’ scared? Government sponsored racism. I told you I wasn't afraid [of race]. I told you I wasn't afraid.

"Now I want you to connect one more dot on that chain of the African American history in this country, and tell me if I’m crazy: Federal gun laws that facilitate the flow of illegal firearms into our urban centers across this country, that are killing our black and brown children."

Immediately after those remarks, he also insisted, as he has often said since coming over to Chicago from Newark, N.J., that the gun control debate has to move "back to the center."

But conservative commentators overlooked that more moderate position in their response to the recently-surfaced video.

“After several minutes of gratuitous self-promotion, McCarthy launched into a racially charged tirade in which he accused the NRA and law-abiding gun owners of participating in a government-sponsored program to kill black people," Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, wrote on the group's website.

"Like most of you, we believe an assertion such as McCarthy’s is too nutty to dignify with a response."

Andrew Breitbart's Big Government blog goes for guilt by association: "McCarthy states his comfort speaking to the “right audience” about his views," blogger Rebel Pundit writes. "Could this be because outspoken radical activist Rev. Dr. Michael L. Pfleger is the Pastor of the Faith Community of Saint Sabina? Pfleger is known for his strong anti-gun views, outreach to prostitutes, anti-drug campaigns, and warm relationships with Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton and Jeremiah Wright."

And a vitriolic blog post on ChicagoNow pulled no punches. "[W]e have a top cop more interested in appearing at racist churches making race-baiting speeches than doing his job," writes Warner Todd Huston. "Emanuel better watch out because what we obviously have here is just another arrogant jack-booted thug that thinks he should be allowed to make up his own laws instead of enforcing the laws actually on the books.

McCarthy issued a relatively toned-down statement on Friday. "Strong gun laws against illegal firearms are critical in order to maintain public safety and private rights,” McCarthy said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “Gang and drug activity intersect with guns, and all three must be the focus of violence-reduction efforts in our communities.”

Comments

[Tao21Zen]

09:56 AM on 07/11/2011

I wonder what it was in previous posts that the mods felt justified not posting it.

Let's see. Was it my point out:

(1) That lumping "[g]un rights advocates" with "other right-wing groups" disenfranchises the great many liberals and progressives 2nd Amendment supporters.

(2) The FACT that Father Michael Pfleger was video and audio taped calling for a gun store owner to be "snuffed out" "like a rat." I actually linked to a clip of this as support.

(3) That the NRA was founded by Union officers in New York, its first 8 presidents were union officers. Ulysses S Grant was its 8th President. The man who signed and enforced the laws against the KKK was former Union General Ulysses S. Grant. Grant deployed troops against the KKK and under his presidency 5,000 Klansmen were arrested. Grant was followed by General Sheridan who removed the governors of Texas and Louisianna for their failure to inforce Reconstruction laws.

I wonder, which of these "facts" is so deplorable to the mods of HuffPo that it can't be allowed to grace the paged of this thread?

[Tao21Zen]

10:43 AM on 07/11/2011

Guess in calling them out, they did let it post.

[Tao21Zen]

09:05 AM on 07/11/2011

"Gun rights advocates and other right-wing groups responded harshly on Friday to some strong words on gun control by Chicago's new top cop."

How quickly people forget. Lets look at the Civil Rights act of 1964 and the voting record in congress that passed it:

Vote totals

Totals are in "Yea-Nay" format:

By party

The original House version:[12]

Democratic Party: 152-96 (61%-39%)
Republican Party: 138-34 (80%-20%)

Cloture in the Senate:[13]

Democratic Party: 44-23 (66%–34%)
Republican Party: 27-6 (82%–18%)

The Senate version:[12]

Democratic Party: 46-21 (69%–31%)
Republican Party: 27-6 (82%–18%)

The Senate version, voted on by the House:[12]

Democratic Party: 153-91 (63%–37%)
Republican Party: 136-35 (80%–20%)

Source:
http://goo.gl/hp14R

So it would seem that the majority of support for civil rights during the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 actually came from the "right-wing." I guess they have good reason to respond harshly to criticism that they are racist for supporting the 2nd Amendment.

[RedXIV]

12:33 PM on 08/24/2011

"So it would seem that the majority of support for civil rights during the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 actually came from the 'right-win­g.'"
That's some odd math on your part, given that the numbers you posted show that Republicans were a minority of the votes in favor of the Civil Rights Act.

[Tao21Zen]

08:55 AM on 07/11/2011

1. "Gun rights advocates and other right-wing groups..."

Way to disenfranchise the great many liberal and progressive pro-gun supporters.

2. "Father Michael Pfleger, is an outspoken supporter of limiting gun rights."

As well as an outspoken supporter of "snuffing out" gun store owners "like rats." Listen for yourselves (00:00-00:32 sec): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5kQ5zR19iw

3. "So here’s what I want to tell you. See, let’s see if we can make a connection here. Slavery. Segregation. Black codes. Jim Crow. What did they all have in common? Anybody getting’ scared? Government sponsored racism. I told you I wasn't afraid [of race]. I told you I wasn't afraid."

Sorry, what all these had in common is that they all had provisions banning the owning and carrying of firearms both before and after the bonds of slavery were broken.

And here is a little background on the hated NRA:

The National Rifle Association was founded by Union officers in New York in 1871. Eight of the first ten NRA President's were Union officers. Union General Ulysses S. Grant was elected the 8th NRA President. The man who signed and enforced the laws against the KKK was former Union General Ulysses S. Grant. Grant deployed troops against the KKK and under his presidency 5,000 Klansmen were arrested. Grant was followed by General Sheridan who removed the governors of Texas and Louisianna for their failure to inforce Reconstruction laws.

http://goo.gl/uhNAk

[OIF2009]

02:27 PM on 07/06/2011

Yet another stupid racist has an opinion. If he knew anything about gun control he would understand that it has its roots in racism just like the Jim Crow laws. Alot of these white gun control goons arent too comfortable with armed blacks regardless of clean backgrounds.

Gun control has been government sponsored racism! DUH

[mackbolan]

02:20 PM on 07/04/2011

how would this happen if the gun was carried on an empty chamber...

http://www.gunguys.com/?p=2907

[ElmCreekSmith]

02:24 AM on 07/05/2011

Someone pulled the trigger. If you're not carrying it, it should be unloaded. But, seriously, "gunguys?" I couldn't help but notice your other link was to an anti-police website, too. You have a problem?

ECS

[mackbolan]

03:09 AM on 07/05/2011

only with people who are in denial...

[Tao21Zen]

09:10 AM on 07/11/2011

You are aware that attempting to attack the source of information (premises) making up an argument rather the information itself is a logical fallacy (ad hominem)?

[HisXLNC]

09:56 PM on 06/29/2011

"as he has often said since coming over to Chicago from Newark, N.J., that the gun control debate has to move "back to the center."

Apparently with no help from Garry McCarthy.

[Ronnie Avatar Dixon]

06:53 PM on 06/28/2011

He kind of pulled a Glenn Beck here: connecting two dots without an adequate line.

[stonewalker]

11:43 PM on 06/28/2011

He really did. I thought he might try to make a point with the Jim Crow laws and Black Codes... but all he did is say the NRA is like that, with no evidence.

[David Carson]

01:01 PM on 07/06/2011

SW--what Puffy Pfleger and McCarthy are forgetting is that their civilian disarmament agenda started with the racists/black codes/Jim Crow they are referring to was the policy of Southern racists

[Allthingsharlem]

04:50 PM on 06/28/2011

More and more veteran law enforcement are beginning to come around and speak the truth about this whole entire messed up system of criminal justice and racism we are facing in this country. here is another video of a veteran police officer coming to his senses on the ills of the drug war and getting choked up reflecting on the role he played in it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKX9g76ehtk

[KalashniKEV]

10:51 AM on 06/28/2011

Reading the headline, (and checking my bias towards Chicago) I actually thought the complete opposite point was being made. Then I thought about it for a minute and realized that our current Gun Laws are more classist than racist. A $200 Tax Stamp was cost prohibitive for the common man in 1934. The price will never go up, because that would invite a challenge to the whole concept of Transfer Tax on an intrastate level- which is unconstitutional (see "Made in Montana"). The '85 Reagan Ban only raised the price out of the common man's reach again. It's sad and sick, but you have to be a man of some means to access the full rights afforded by our Constitution.

[braymanthomas]

03:01 AM on 06/28/2011

While surfing the net I came across the web site of an attorney in Houston who specializes in defending legal gun owners in accidental shootings. He is currently defending a man whose gun fell from his pocket and discharged wounding a woman. On the NRA website they have stories of valiant uses legal guns. In one of their stories, to their credit I might add, the fact that the legal gun owner while stopping the crime also wounded an innocent bystander. It was ok since he got the bad guy. A while back there was a news story about a woman in a public restroom who dropped her drawers then dropped her legal weapon and an innocent woman in the next stall was wounded. In a grocery store near where I live a law abiding citizen with a legal gun was in line, his gun fell and again an innocent person was wounded. Whom should I fear?

[mackbolan]

04:29 AM on 06/28/2011

i would be afraid of anyone who does not carry their gun on an empty chamber...

[KalashniKEV]

10:53 AM on 06/28/2011

I guess you're afraid of almost everyone I know. When the SHTF it's a race to see who can get lead on target the fastest. You don't want to lose.

[JimInHouston]

05:25 PM on 06/28/2011

"i would be afraid of anyone who does not carry their gun on an empty chamber... "

Why should they? No modern firearms should discharge when dropped. None.

Only if the dropper tried to grab the gun on the way down and more or less inevitably pulled the trigger.

[stonewalker]

11:49 AM on 06/28/2011

Accidents happen. I'd venture to guess more people die in house fires in the US every year than in a gun accident though. Ah here, we go - according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are more than 4,000 accidental deaths in home fires every year. http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/556a.html

According to the CDC, there were 613 accidental gun-related deaths in 2007.
http://www.tincher.to/deaths.htm

For reference, there were 29,846 accidental deaths by poisoning in 2007.

I wouldn't worry too much about guns if I were you. There's nothing you can do about it anyways.

[4eva]

05:59 PM on 06/27/2011

Teens beaten by mob in Center City subways
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/crime&id=7796044

Teenage gang charged under lynching law after 'savage attack on 18-year-old student'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008252/Teenage-gang-charged-lynching-law-savage-attack-18-year-old-student.html#ixzz1QUY2wnJn

19 year old gay victim: Mob attack 'was a hate crime'
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/04/15/2225475/surveillance-video-released-in.html

[Katie Wray]

05:25 PM on 06/27/2011

how does gun ownership save lives? how does having more loaded weapons on the street save lives?

[stonewalker]

05:59 PM on 06/27/2011

I think the photographer Oleg Volk best sums up the answer to that.

http://olegvolk.net/blog/2011/04/29/compensating-for-somehing/
http://www.olegvolk.net/gallery/technology/arms/handicapped8619.jpg.html
http://www.olegvolk.net/gallery/technology/arms/equalizer_8018.jpg.html
http://www.olegvolk.net/gallery/technology/arms/foot-pounds_4946web.jpg.html

A firearm is the only effective option for self-defense, and guns are not going to up and disappear anytime soon. Even a strong, fit man is no match for multiple attackers. You don't "win" a fight, you just get out alive. Many people don't have the option to run. The physically disabled, elderly or physically weak cannot fight or run.

I don't carry a gun, but I advocate for the ability to carry for all (for simplicity's sake, unless you are a felon or mentally disabled). As I mentioned in my earlier post, gun control has always been used to keep minorities and the poor from owning and using guns. Do you ever see the rich fighting for gun rights? They don't have to, they already have them. Hollywood, Mayor bloomberg, the joyce foundation.. they advocate gun control under the guise of "helping the black communities" but really what they are doing is making sure those very same communities stay disarmed.

What do you think about those photos?

[4eva]

06:01 PM on 06/27/2011

It saves the lives of those willing to use them in self defense and in defense of their families ... that's whose lives are saved.

People who want to be victims are certainly able to freely choose that path.

[Nanjing03]

04:56 PM on 06/27/2011

We seem to be seeing the last great gasp of the old failed gun control of the past. Every state except Illinois has reformed and replaced gun control with provisions for law abiding citizens to bear arms. No Dodge City-type gun battles on the streets, no shootouts on trains and busses, no abuse, no acidents due to increases in guns. In fact, the Justice Department's own National Institute of Justice /Bureau of Justice Statistics,and the Annual FBI Crime Reports for the last 20 years prove that where law abiding citizens with minimum state mandated training are allowed to bear arms, there are fewer violent crimes and fewer gun accidents. Failed gun control in America is almost dead. Good riddence.

[OdinsEye]

03:40 PM on 06/27/2011

Amazing that McCarthy completely glossed over the fact that modern gun control in the US was part of the Black Codes/Jim Crow laws and that one gun control tactic has been to try to make firearms too expensive for more financially challenged sectors of the population, which are disproportionately minorities. I guess he has no problem with rich white people having firearms.

[Scent]

03:08 PM on 06/27/2011

THANK YOU MISTER MCCARTHY!!!

That we run around with guns in a world here the only enemy is the ones who sell them to us and tell us that that is the only right that matters while they destroy the Constitution is insane.

This soldier is very proud to call You a fellow contryman, sir.

[RevJimIII]

03:24 PM on 06/27/2011

"That we run around with guns in a world here the only enemy is the ones who sell them to us.."

-- Very incorrect.

[Scent]

04:09 PM on 06/29/2011

On the contrary. But saying someone is incorrect at least SEEMS reasonable. - Even though it completely lacks proof ;o).

The ones who sell guns do that so people kill one another. No gun will ever be sold on earth without that motvie. If protection was the goal we would get more and better trained police as other nations did. we would take the money the rich stole from us and use it to better the lives of the people, give them jobs, and keep them healthy. All that will make people less likely to kill.

The reason we are sold guns is to ake us feel safe while those who sell them destroy every single human right we ever had.

But of course that is not our enemy, right? The enemy is some phantom terrorist who is tortured to confess crimes he never committed. - Or so the ones who sell us guns tell us. - What a coincidence.

[CelticMajic]

03:39 PM on 06/27/2011

First, thank you for your service. Second, you could not be more wrong. Pretty sure no one forces anyone to purchase a fire arm. And if purchased the person using it determines how it is used or misused as the case may be. No matter how hard you wish it not to be so, the individual is responsible for his/her actions. The inanimate object/hunk of metal makes no such determinations.