McCarthy's Comments on Gun Laws Draws Rebuke From State Gun Lobby Chair

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 27, 2011 9:20PM

AP Photo/Paul Beaty

Recent comments by Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy about federal gun laws drew a harsh rebuke from the chair of the state's top gun lobby as being the words of a "political hack."

McCarthy told a group of parishoners at St. Sabina earlier this month that federal gun laws were "government-sponsored racism." (We've embedded video of McCarthy's chat below.)

“I want you to connect one more dot on that chain of 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 black and brown children."

Upon hearing of McCarthy's comments, Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson, who recently made headlines when he released a statement stating the Streeterville assaults may have been prevented if Illinois had concealed carry laws, denounced McCarthy's statements as "too nutty to dignify with a response" before dignifying McCarthy's statements with a response.

“As much as we wouldn’t expect to hear McCarthy speak in opposition to gun control, it is equally certain that few of us were prepared to hear what actually came from McCarthy’s mouth when he spoke to the St. Sabina’s congregation.

“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."

Pearson then said McCarthy's comments were an affront to policemen everywhere.

"(A)ny suggestion that McCarthy is a law-enforcement officer is a sham. Rather, McCarthy is merely another in a long line of political hacks who have resided in the office of police superintendant,” Pearson said. “McCarthy’s job description has nothing to do with law-enforcement and everything to do with enforcing the political agenda of his boss, Rahm Emanuel.”

Pearson, by the way, doesn't appear to have a resume that qualifies him as an expert on law enforcement.