Chicago Priest: Snuff Out Pro-Gun Legislators!
A Chicago Catholic priest, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, known for praising Louis Farrakhan as a “gift of God to a sick, sick, world,” has threatened to “snuff out” John Riggio, owner of a gun shop, as well as legislators who support gun rights. Please check out the link to the story. The audio is here. The Rev. Pfleger, apparently well-known for his leftist leanings, is pastor of St. Sabina in Chicago.
I am not defending Pfleger, who seems to have been caught up in the activistic moment, bringing back a rush of memories of the 1960s I am sure, but it is possible that when he used the phrase “snuff out” he may actually have meant “flush out,” as in expose (as opposed to kill). After reading his words, this seems to be a possibility, although nonetheless, his tone and use of words suggests he is rather angry, and it is Chicago, so who knows! That Fr. Pfleger would not know that “snuff out” is street slang for “kill” is unlikely, but until more information comes out, I will give him a little benefit of the doubt. Either way, a supposedly inclusive priest threatening others is very troubling. In my opinion, just because Fr. Pfleger lives in a neighborhood where people kill each other in cold blood regularly (a tragedy, yes), doesn’t mean a legal gun dealer or legislators who support the second amendment should be “snuffed out.”
This has yet to make a major news outlet…could you imagine if a priest used these same words about an abortionist? It would probably be on CNN for 10 days straight. Could you imagine if the gun shop owner himself threatened to “snuff out” the protesters at his business that day? Cardinal George has his hands full with this one. Despite this, Fr. Pfleger seems to have done many good things at St. Sabina.
*By the way, this is the same Fr. Pfleger who back in 2002 threatened to leave the Church if Cardinal George ever transferred him to another parish.
**Fr. Pfleger reportedly said, “We must declare war on guns and anybody who buys or possesses a gun has to be an enemy to the community.”
David Bennett
Jennifer
asimplesinner
Fr. J.
Chad Toney
Jorge Flores
Jonathan B
carmelbennett
nicenehobbit
Jason S
jaybird68
papaz
May 30, 2007 at 3:33 pm
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am sick and tired of these damned (and I mean that literally) activist Catholic priests. If the bishops of the American Church are too weak or liberalized to do their jobs and EXCOMMUNICATE these unworthy priests, then we the people should withhold all monies to the parishes and dioceses, lock down rectories, and physically keep such trash out of God’s pulpits!
May 30, 2007 at 10:23 pm
After reading the web site listed for this church, I am wondering why there did not seem to be any concern about the legislators that condone and vote for pro abortion activities. Maybe it would be great to see them “snuffed out” whatever that means and this priest should be ranting and raving over them and the worst culture of death ever compared to gun deaths death sentences for crimes.
June 1, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Oh dear, how many people do you want to speak out against abortion and euthanasia?! It would be narrow-minded and weak of the Church to focus on abortion and euthanasia alone.
I believe that the American Catholic Church has more issues to address than just that. St. Paul tells us that we all have different gifts but all serve the same Lord. If this is so, Fr. Pfleger should be commended and affirmed for speaking out against gun laws and gun violence. There’ll be others to promote a culture of life and you’re already playing that role.
As for calling pastors who are going all out for their community like these “trash”, its a pity because I’ve seen worse than Fr. Pfleger. He may not be one of those whom I consider the best I’ve heard of or had a close relationship with, but I have seen and met worse… and that is sad, as it does not go well with the Lord we serve and the Church we belong to.
June 1, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Hi All, I must side with the priest and hope for more “activist” priests to raise the alarm about the culture of death in the USA. I may not agree with his terms (snuff out), but the idea that we need to get a tighter control of the guns flowing into neighborhoods like his and mine is obvious to everyone but those who live elsewhere. Thanks Collin for your words as well.
Peace,
Mike
June 1, 2007 at 6:20 pm
What about looking at innocent lives that have been saved by legally owning a gun and scaring the thugs away just by waving one about?
There are 2 sides to most things.
June 1, 2007 at 8:30 pm
Collin and St. Louis:
HOW can you side with this priest?????!! The man is calling for MURDER of someone!! If you think that is OK and Christian…you’re NOT in the same Church as the rest of us. OR…if that IS what the Church now stands for, I don’t belong.
June 1, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I agree that Fr. Pfleger’s neighborhood definitely has too many guns in the hands of the wrong people. However, I would bet there are just as many, if not more, guns in my neighborhood with about one-twentieth the crime, so perhaps it is not the guns that are the problem per se.
I hope that besides targeting suburban gun dealers (who I don’t necessarily think are to blame here), Fr. Pleger is attacking the family problems (no fathers, no supervision, thug culture, etc) that lead to problems in many neighborhoods.
June 2, 2007 at 2:26 am
Nicenehobbit, Fr. Pfleger is obviously not well-versed in slang or “thug language”. He cannot mean to “kill” as that obviously isn’t good at all. Perhaps I think its time you saw things metaphorically.
He doesn’t mean “snuff out” per se, but perhaps was using that term in emphasising the gravity and importance of the situation. Perhaps he used that term the way anyone would use the F-word. It means something else but you couldn’t possibly mean that exact term when you blurt it out to someone right?
Carmel, in most cases you are right. But you don’t have to kill the perpretator just to save someone’s, or your own life for that matter. Injuring him would be just fine. Legally I believe, it is fine, but as Catholic, I’d suggest trying not to kill him at all. Talk is cheap but this is as good as it gets. Look at Jesus - Did He kill or instruct His disciples to go “katame” when He was captured by the soldiers? I think not.
PS: Good to see you here too Mike.
June 2, 2007 at 3:18 am
By chance, CNN’s Anderson Cooper covered gun violence on his show. 20 schoolgoing children killed so far. Its no wonder Fr. Pfleger is making noise.
June 2, 2007 at 3:39 am
“By chance, CNN’s Anderson Cooper covered gun violence on his show. 20 schoolgoing children killed so far. Its no wonder Fr. Pfleger is making noise.”
Collin,
I agree the violence in Fr. Pfleger’s neighborhood and in many major urban areas is VERY troubling. In fact, you couldn’t pay me to live in many cities in the US (and I mean that literally…I don’t even consider jobs that require me to live in a large city). However, I think Fr. Pfleger’s threat against a legal gun dealer is off.
If I am correct, Fr. Pfleger made his threat at a legal, suburban firearms dealer, not even in his own neighborhood, or the neighborhoods where those shootings you mention even occurred.
Its easy to threaten a legal, firearms dealer who has never committed a crime in his life in the suburbs, but… Perhaps he should threaten to snuff out the drug dealers, the thugs and punks, the gang leaders, the high school dropouts more admired than those who go to college, the folks who buy firearms illegally (”straw purchases”) and then sell them on the streets, the rappers who glorify violence, the parents who don’t supervise their children, the fathers who skip out of their kids’ lives, the media that promotes relativism and violence, the academics who have said fathers don’t matter, etc. To me, this would be a better start than blaming the tool itself (the gun), because my city (in a fairly poor, rural, area) probably has double the rate of gun ownership his neighborhood has, and probably 1/100th the violence.
June 2, 2007 at 4:05 am
Part of the reason why I do not agree with Fr. Pfleger on this matter could be that I live in a fairly rural environment. Gun violence is rare, while using guns for legal uses is very common and pretty ordinary. It is not uncommon to see gun racks in people’s trucks, or hear a conversation about target shooting or hunting at the local coffee shop. I’d say about half of my students go hunting at some point in the year. My family enjoys target shooting for sport, although we don’t hunt. Knowing all of this, it is hard for me to blame the gun itself for gun violence.
I am sure in some Chicago neighborhoods, it is the exact opposite, where if you hear a gunshot, something bad has happened. I am sure Fr. Pfleger has seen the effects of illegal gun use firsthand (as well as the illegal use of drugs and other weapons), and it is devastating to see a cycle of violence claim your neighborhood.
While I agree with basic gun control measures in place in the US (like background checks), I don’t have any faith that if Chicago bans guns, or if law abiding people get rid of theirs, of if a suburban gun dealer closes, that Fr. Pfleger’s neighborhood is going to get any better. Just look at how violent Washington D.C. is and they already ban handguns…too bad the criminals don’t honor the law.
June 2, 2007 at 11:45 am
nd Yes their are many matters to speak out about but a primary matter in the culture of death that prevades our world in abortion on demand.
June 2, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Hi All, Of course the priest did not mean to threaten the life of the gun dealer. I actually spoke with him on the phone yesterday to find out for myself. What he meant was “snuff out” as in “nip in the bud” the gun dealers *business*. I know that sounds bad to many constitution waving, bible thumping alarmists about our rights. Here is the problem. A gun recently used in a violent crime in his neighborhood was originally purchased by a legitimate buyer who later had it stolen from them and then sold on the street. I don’t know the answer, but it begins with responsibility on all sides. Perhaps dealers could not only screen for felons, psych patients etc, but also determine if the potential owner has a way to safely store the gun so it can’t be stolen or shot accidentally by them or someone else.
Most of the supply of guns in my neighborhood come from suburban gun shops, since there are no urban gun shops in my neighborhood. As mentioned before, some are bought by people hoping to defend themselves (a la waving it around per Carmel) which BTW, is the best way to get killed–If you delay, the other person probably won’t. Some are bought by thugs, some are bought with the intention of reselling them on the black market. Much of the supply of drugs in my neighborhood also starts in much ritzier neighborhood with people who have the financial ability to bring them to market via a distribution network of young thugs. These first-tier drug lords do not live in my neighborhood, they live with the wealthy.
So, rather than get all exclamatory (calling a priest “trash”) and so forth, with our remarks here, perhaps we could, with cool heads, suggest some solutions. There are a couple of forums on the Internet devoted mostly to this topic.
As for the abortion issue, I have suggested on many catholic parish websites that are devote to issues, that they better put abortion at the top of their list or many catholics will write them off as unworthy of attention. I can see from “anonymous”, that “culture” (of single-issue attention), within the Catholic church is still a rising tide. I still agree with Collin who suggested that we all have diffeent gifts and callings.
Sorry to cause so much controversy.
Peace, Mike
May 30, 2008 at 9:45 am
[...] Michael Pfleger at it Again Fr. Michael Pfleger (whom I blogged about exactly one year ago, when he threatened to “snuff out” legal firearms dealer) recently preached at Obama’s church, and even Obama considers Fr. Pfleger’s message to [...]
July 14, 2008 at 9:07 am
hand guns st buy…
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