Sorry, Mr. Obama, Lawful Gun Owners Won't Be Paying Penance For Chris Harper-Mercer
CHICAGO, Oct. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is the text of a statement released today by Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) Executive Director Richard Pearson:
"Within moments of police confirmation that a violent criminal had murdered students at an Oregon community college, CNN's Wolf Blitzer was laying the groundwork for the inevitable media and political broadside against the nation's law-abiding firearm owners. And, true to form, the media and political hacks wasted no time in demanding that the nation's hunters and sportsmen pay the price for the crimes committed by one Chris Harper-Mercer."
"Leading Thursday afternoon's charge against lawful American gun owners was, of course, Barack Obama. Obama's well-scripted angst did little to conceal the political nature of his address to the nation. Obama was not shy in driving home his point that the only way to halt 'gun violence' was for voters to vote gun-grabbers into office in 2016. Obama's remarks regarding how the United States should emulate other countries' responses to mass murder were a thinly veiled reference to Australia's oppressive ban and confiscation of privately owned firearms executed several years back. The most pathetic moment of Obama's address came when he suggested that gun owners revolt against the "organization" that claims to represent them – with it clear to all what "organization" he was speaking of. All in all, Obama's bottom line was that lawful gun owners should willingly accept at least some level of punishment for the murderous deeds of Chris Harper-Mercer."
"The ISRA hates to disappoint Mr. Obama but the nation's lawful firearm owners won't take it on the chin because a bigot decided that Thursday was the day for him to murder Christian people. Likewise, the nation's lawful firearm owners do not owe anybody an apology for freely exercising their constitutional right to keep and bear arms. No, we will not buy into any notion that violent crime is our fault. We won't be submitting to unfair and burdensome regulation and we certainly won't be surrendering our firearms to the authorities. However, we will vigorously and enthusiastically protect and preserve our rights in the legislature, in the courts, and at the ballot box."
"Like all people of good conscience, the Officers, Directors and members of the Illinois State Rifle Association extend their deepest sympathies to the friends and family of those students murdered by Chris Harper-Mercer. We find it unfortunate that Mr. Obama's address was light on consolation and heavy on divisiveness at a time when the nation he has been charged to lead sorely needs cohesion and unity of purpose."
The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearm ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.
SOURCE Illinois State Rifle Association
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