NRA executive suggests slain Charleston pastor to blame for gun deaths

[kyredneck]

"A National Rifle Association executive in Texas has come under fire for suggesting that a South Carolina lawmaker and pastor slain with eight members of his congregation bears some of the blame for his opposition to permitting concealed handguns in church.

Houston-based lawyer Charles Cotton, listed as a national NRA board member on the gun lobby's website, made the comments in an online chat room he administers called texaschlforum.com, a discussion board devoted to gun rights and firearms issues.

In an online thread about Wednesday night's mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, Cotton said that one of the nine people slain, church pastor and Democratic state Senator Clementa Pinckney, had voted against legislation in 2011 that would have allowed concealed possession of handguns in restaurants, day-care centers and churches.

"Eight of his church members who might be alive if he had expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead," Cotton wrote....."
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/06/20/usa-shooting-south-carolina-nra-idINKBN0P009R20150620

 

[Rolfe]

I am not familiar with South Carolina's laws about this, but I wonder how many unarmed congregants there that night had permits to carry concealed.

 

[kyredneck]

"...South Carolina prohibits concealable weapons in churches, even by those carrying permits, unless “expressed permission is given by the appropriate church official or governing body.”....

....Mr. Pratt also said that the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, the Emanuel AME Church’s pastor who died in the shooting, was “an anti-gun activist” who had voted against concealed-carry legislation in his capacity as a Democratic state senator."
http://www.teaparty.org/gun-rights-supporters-call-concealed-carry-church-103931/

 

[carpro]

"Eight of his church members who might be alive if he had expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead," Cotton wrote....."
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/06/20/usa-shooting-south-carolina-nra-idINKBN0P009R20150620

A huge "might".

He would have been better off to keep his opinion to himself.

 

[kyredneck]

No doubt he realized that after the fact:

"..."Eight of his church members who might be alive if he had expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead," Cotton wrote.

The comments, since deleted from the online forum but ricocheted across social media in cached versions, triggered a torrent of online condemnation, with hundreds of posts bombarding Cotton's Twitter handle branding him a "monster" and "insensitive."..."

 

[kyredneck]

'Fox and Friends' in the limelight too.

Concealed-carry at churches Fox and Friends

...notice Huckabee is commenting also...

 

[carpro]

It's a pre-emptive attack against the assault that is surely coming from anti gun nuts, who think the solution to all shootings is to disarm law abiding citizens.

It's still in poor taste at this time, but no more so than Obama's comments.

I wish they would all just shut up and quit playing the blame game. If this nut wanted to do what he did bad enough, he would have done it somehow, guns or not. Bombs are easy to make.

 

[kyredneck]

My guess lots of SC churches will be reviewing their concealed carry policies.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

So the shooter was breaking a gun law ?

 

[carpro]

So the shooter was breaking a gun law ?

What a surprise, huh?

Proving once again that more gun laws don't deter killers.

 

[carpro]

My guess lots of SC churches will be reviewing their concealed carry policies.

One would hope so.

 

[TCassidy]

So the shooter was breaking a gun law ?

Impossible. Don't you know that a "Gun Free Zone" is surrounded by a magic force field that automatically disarms everyone who enters the premises? There is no way the guy could have carried a gun into a "Gun Free Zone." After all, it is illegal so that stops it from happening!

 

[Bro. Curtis]

OK, let me see if I got it….

If you make guns illegal, criminals will still be able to get them ?

Drugs are illegal. Are criminals able to get them ?

 

[InTheLight]

This was a very sick comment by the NRA official.

What is the difference between blaming the victims of this shooting for not being alert and prepared and blaming the victims of 911 for terrorists flying airplanes into buildings? Anyone?

 

[Zaac]

This was a very sick comment by the NRA official.

What is the difference between blaming the victims of this shooting for not being alert and prepared and blaming the victims of 911 for terrorists flying airplanes into buildings? Anyone?

The comment is consistent with what the right and folks on here have said about the blacks killed by the police so I don't know why anyone is really surprised by the comment.

 

[carpro]

The comment is consistent with what the right and folks on here have said about the blacks killed by the police so I don't know why anyone is really surprised by the comment.

No, it's not. But I don't expect you to recognize the difference.

 

[kyredneck]

This was a very sick comment by the NRA official.

No. It wasn't 'sick', it was ill timed and unwise for him to PUBLICALLY make the comment. I assure you many are privately wondering along the same lines.

What is the difference between blaming the victims of this shooting for not being alert and prepared and blaming the victims of 911 for terrorists flying airplanes into buildings? Anyone?

He didn't blame the victims, he said the pastor was PARTLY to blame because of his anti-gun stance.

As I said, I'm guessing many churches will be rethinking their concealed carry positions after this.

IMO, these days it would be wise for churches AND even schools to have at least a stealth 'sergeant of arms' or two around.

 

[Zaac]

No, it's not. But I don't expect you to recognize the difference.

It's exactly the same and no one really expected one of the people who have done the blaming to recognize the difference.:smilewinkgrin:

 

[Bro. Curtis]

No. It wasn't 'sick', it was ill timed and unwise for him to PUBLICALLY make the comment. I assure you many are privately wondering along the same lines.


He didn't blame the victims, he said the pastor was PARTLY to blame because of his anti-gun stance.

As I said, I'm guessing many churches will be rethinking their concealed carry positions after this.

IMO, these days it would be wise for churches AND even schools to have at least a stealth 'sergeant of arms' or two around.

Great stuff. :applause:

 

[InTheLight]

No. It wasn't 'sick', it was ill timed and unwise for him to PUBLICALLY make the comment. I assure you many are privately wondering along the same lines.

People are wondering why a pastor does not allow people to bring guns to a weeknight Bible study? Any of the pastors here want to address this?

IMO, these days it would be wise for churches AND even schools to have at least a stealth 'sergeant of arms' or two around.

Who wants to live like that? Having armed guards in church.

Might as well go all the way and put metal detectors at the doors and/or have someone wand people as they enter.