* Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) shared with me a couple of postcards he received this month postmarked in Carol Stream but without return addresses. The postcards strenuously, and disgustingly objected to Raoul’s proposed concealed carry bill. The full pdf file with the postmarks can be seen by clicking here.

The postcards contain some really harsh and totally inappropriate language. I apologize for exposing you to this, but, hey, I didn’t write them and I think we all need to seem them…

Discuss. But don’t quote directly from the postcards because my automated system will delete your comment.

       

101 Comments - Happy Returns - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:21 am: Despicable and cowardly. Not much more you can sày about it. - Mason born - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:23 am: Wow ISRA finally cleans up their act and some other (words i can’t say here) decide to voice their level of Crazy and Stupid. I’m assuming they didn’t have the (more words i can’t say) to actually sign their cards did they? - ??? - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:26 am: People filled with that much hate and vitriol are the LAST people I’d want to be able to carry a gun around. - Jake from Elwood - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:26 am: I wish they could trace these postcards to their authors and they could be exposed as the racist idiots that they are. It is hard to reason with folks that out of touch with reality. - Logic not emotion - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:26 am: There are some more extreme proponents and opponents to every issue including this one. If these notes are actually from gun rights proponents (instead of gun rights opponents trying to make the proponents look extreme and racist), these idiots are playing right into the gun rights opponents’ hands. Although I think the SB1293 is too restrictive, I think it is the most pragmatic compromise that has a realistic chance of passage at this point. Neither side is happy with it. I know that the pro gun and victim rights supporters are not. They (we) feel that the restrictions are too broad and the total cost will be so much that it will make it unfeasible for many of those that need it most. - 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:27 am: It is scary to think that someone who wants to carry a gun thinks like this, or that there are many who want to carry a gun that run in this circle and support this group who put out the postcard. This is quite frightening to think these folks (putting out the postcard) may be carrying concealed weapons some day. - David W Lawson - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:29 am: Those two look like they came from the same source. I know for a fact that ISRA and Illinois Carry go to great lengths to ensure their members communicate with legislators respectfully. That said, you can’t stop the crazy. I know for a fact that Illinois Carry has sent a few extremists packing. - ISRA - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:30 am: Good morning Rich, Thought comments that were insulting, or rumor mongering were held for moderation… Mason Born’s insinuation that these post cards were from our organization or a member of ours are totally unfounded. We are appalled by the language and accuastions used in both of these examples. Needless to say, they are not the position of the ISRA. - Wensicia - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:34 am: @ISRA, Could you agree that it’s possible some of your postings encourage this type of reaction? - anon - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:36 am: ISRA, you have no credibility when it comes to claims of misrepresented comments. You have made so many offensive comments that anything offensive could legitimately come from you. It doesnt seem out of the question that a group that suggests victims of gun violence “love the limelight” could also suggest that a legislator sponsoring gun legislation is a nazi, as well as using racial slurs. Nothing is below your organization, and hate mongering and fear is what drives your agenda. If you stopped pedaling hate, we might believe you when you claim hate mail like this didnt come from you. - Racer X - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:37 am: The underlined red text appears to be a theme. - Chaves-respecting Obamist - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:37 am: I hope these people signed this post cards so we know who’s guns need to be confiscated. While I’m not big on takings people’s guns from them, whoever sent these is obviously unstable and should not be allowed to own firearms. And I’m sure the ISRA agrees with me. - Mongo - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:38 am: ISRA I didn’t read Mason Born that way and doubt anyone else did. You are a bit touchy this morning, eh? Wait a minute, am I agreeing with MB? I am! There are idiots everywhere who think coercion and fear will stop progress. It won’t. I am glad the Senator released these so we can all see how some of us still cannot accept our fellows. - too obvious - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:38 am: Yes it’s disgusting. There are bad apples in every bunch. There’s also no proof it’s not a hoax from someone on the other side. Granted, unlikely. - ISRA - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:38 am: @Wensicia Racist? Nazis? NO - Ucster - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:38 am: To paraphrase Obama, you should not judge a group of people because of the actions of a few extremists. The vast majority of 2nd Amendment advocates are good, honest, and decent people. The folks who wrote the postcards represent only themselves. - Ucster - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:39 am: And to blame the ISRA for this is nonsense. - HenryVK - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:40 am: ISRA, Frankly, your comments about the Newton victims were also deeply offensive. Your constant rave-outs about “gun grabbers” feed the kind of people who write things like the post-cards. You repeatedly use extreme language, and then are “shocked” when your backers take it one step farther. ISRA, if you started acting like adults, your members might do so too. So yes, ISRA, we do blame your organization for stuff like this. - Anonymous - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:42 am: Absolutely disgusting and intolerable. I am an NRA and ISRA member. Both organizations have encouraged the membership to generate respectful, reasoned contacts with our legislators. Yes, we may vigorously oppose the position or person who holds the office, but must maintain respect and courtesy for that person. These postcards are over the top and do not represent the organizations nor most of their members. - John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:43 am: People have the creator-given right to be stupid and racist. All that, and yet the postcards don’t seem to contain any threat, so I wouldn’t be in favor of hunting them down to try to take their guns away. - Stones - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:44 am: There are some sick wackos in the world. Not only the people who think about this stuff but those who actually commit it to paper are even worse. Fortunately, I don’t think this is representative of those in favor of concealed carry. - Mason born - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:46 am: ISRA You seem to be confused. I am not insinuating you posted the cards or support them. I am a member of your Association and have been for 5 yrs. In fact i called your membership department a few weeks ago to complain about the Post that was sent out following the NRA convention. I Was trying to compliment the association for not sending out more postings in the line of the Slam on the Newtown folks. Please explain how me saying “some others” insinuates it is the group i previously mentioned. You know, i support ISRA largely because of the programs you have despite the hyperbole in the posts that are sent out. However if your going to play the wounded one anytime your name is mentioned there are other Associations that would welcome my Hard earned cash. - Wensicia - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:48 am: When you preach paranoia, don’t be surprised where it leads certain individuals. - Mason born - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:49 am: ISRA BTW if i thought you would actually put out Postcards like that not only would i not be a member i would be lobbying NRA to pull your Charter. - Anon Post - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:51 am: The only thing that surprises me is that anyone still uses the mail to do this. This is how people flamed before the internet (trolling is different. It’s anonymous, hateful, weak, but not surprising. You could find worse comments for a YouTube video or Reddit post, and should be dismissed as such. - Aaron - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:52 am: There are idiots in every aspect of our society. In our communities, at our jobs, in our clubs. I can tell you his racist garbage is not indicative of the concealed carry movement in Illinois. - ISRA - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:56 am: @Mason, I apologize for the misunderstanding of your post and you’re correct in stating that these post cards are not the sort of interaction we encourage with the Legislature. - Todd - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:56 am: These are NOT the people I represent. I may dissagree with the Senator, but this is uncalled for. No self respecting gun owner should act or behave that way. And I am whole heartedly upset that a person who claims to be on our side, would act is such a disresectful and insulting mannner. It is wriong and uncalled for. Just last night i got to speak with the senator and I hope he can take me up on the invatation to come out after session. I think our kids would have fun together - Boondocks - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 9:59 am: Rich, What was the point of Raoul sharing this with you? There are wackos on both sides, people who should be shunned by ALL responsible people regardless of their position on the issues. But since we all know that is the case, why bring these loons into the conversation at all? As “Logic” pointed out, there is no way to tell exactly who sent these or which side of the argument they are on….what does this add to the debate? - NW IL Democrat - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:00 am: Unfortunately, too many — far too many — extremists under the NRA / ISRA banner are ENCOURAGED to attack opponents this way. This is their style. This is why they are effective. It is disgusting and wrong and should be stopped, but there is rarely courage at the top of the ISRA or NRA to stand up against that. - reformer - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:00 am: I don’t defend the anonymous postcard writer. But is it really rare for a pol to be called a crook? It’s not unusual to hear people say “they’re all crooks!” - Carl Nyberg - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:01 am: I’m so glad the federal courts are pandering to these people. - CarrollCounty - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:03 am: Rich gets all excited about this stuff, so Kwame Raoul feeds him more. If everyone in the capitol published all of their mail, we would be amused for a while, but it really represents nothing until a statistically significant number arrive. None of the more reasonable citizens of IL owes anyone an apology, inc. ISRA and IL-NRA. There are gun-grabbers in IL, though, we were within a couple votes of a major semi-auto ban back in the lame duck session (Jan 2?). There is a use for that phrase, this state has a large constituency that hates guns and will vote to continue the destruction of the gun culture through new laws. The slow evolutionary ratcheting up of gun laws may take decades to accomplish, but it is still a “grab”. When Chicagoans were grandfathered with registered handguns, it was still a “grab”, since it took the right to handgun defense from any new residents. - Skeptic - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:05 am: “People have the creator-given right to be stupid and racist.” Stupid - that’s not a “right”, that’s a “characteristic.” And Racist? Show me where God says that in the Bible. Seems to me this is an excellent example of why Raoul put that “moral character” clause in the text in the first place. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:05 am: The vast majority of Republicans won’t stand up to the bigots in their ranks. You notice even in this discussion, there are people who are defending these cards. reformer doesn’t see the racism. Boondocks insists the Left has people just as odious, so it’s not like this should count against the NRA/ISRA crowd. - Rich Miller - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:07 am: ===What was the point of Raoul sharing this with you? === I didn’t ask. But I’m sure he was as disgusted by these as I was. More on the way. - Boondocks - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:09 am: @ Nyberg Do you KNOW who sent these postcards? My point is there are crazy extremists on both sides and that by giving them time on this or any other forum, we only encourage more of this kind of conduct from the fringes. - Rich Miller - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:11 am: ===But is it really rare for a pol to be called a crook? === If that’s all there was to those postcards, then they wouldn’t have been worth posting. Also, it’s really weird that you’re focusing on that particular word. Did you not read the rest of them? - Rich Miller - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:12 am: ===My point is there are crazy extremists on both sides=== If a legislator shares an overtly racist postcard with me from a liberal, then I’ll surely post it. However, I’ve never heard of such a thing. - Rich Miller - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:13 am: ===by giving them time on this or any other forum, we only encourage more of this kind of conduct from the fringes. === Yeah, OK, let’s ignore it. Sure. Get your own blog. - Uggie - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:13 am: It’s all just so sad. I’m not fond of the NRA nor conceal and carry. But I find the rancor on both sides of the discussion repugnant. - Mongo - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:15 am: CarrollCounty and Boondocks and others, can’t you just say “that’s offensive and wrong” or follow Todd’s lead here and disavow that type of comment? Why are you defending this type of hate? BTW CC nice job of going off-topic in your own unique way. - Mr. Jim Lahey - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:17 am: @ISRA Quit while you’re ahead. You’ve come out saying this is not your organization’s position. Continued back and forth is not wise. - wordslinger - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:20 am: –People have the creator-given right to be stupid and racist.– That’s quite an expansive view of God-given rights. Any more we should know about? - The Southern - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:20 am: As a long time voyeur of the political process, first I want to totally repudiate the vitriol of these postcards. Second I want to point out that all sides have a lot of emotion invested in this legislation. With that overabundance of emotion often comes a deficit of judgement regarding personal behavior- on all sides. I want to say that if these are the actual thoughts on paper of a gun-nut they are beyond reprehensible. My other cynicall side says that this type of tactic could be a plant to shift opinions. Go ahead and flame me but I’m just pointing out that which has been done before. - Aldyth - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:21 am: Anyone who would write something like this has been hating and hating deep for a long time. The cause gaining concealed carry is just an excuse for letting it pour out. It doesn’t help the cause and the writer doesn’t care that it doesn’t help the cause. It was never intended for that purpose, but some perverse self-gratification. - MrJM - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:22 am: Rich, Thanks for lifting the rock and exposing the slime. It’s an ugly and unpleasant job, but sometimes it’s necessary. – MrJM - The Ghost in the Darkness - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:23 am: Lets not blame the NRA or ISRA but find out exactly who sent them. Definitely an idiot or perhaps some one wanting to make an anti gun point against concealed carry. You never really know now days until that person is in custody. - Amalia - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:25 am: horrid contemptible pigs. nice of Todd to call them out. thank you. interesting that the first one looks typed on a postcard. visions of someone in a cabin with a Royal in action. - CarrollCounty - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:27 am: It is so obviously wrong, that it has no value in even saying it, but if you insist: It is disgusting in its racial language attack on this senator. It represents no one but the writer. Could it be a planted political tactic for use on the day of the vote? Don’t put it past anyone in such an emotional debate. Gun control is a core value on one side in IL and a lot is invested in it. Nothing would surprise me. - Will Caskey - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:29 am: Postcards? Really? Who sends those? I’m guess angry insane white seniors, but I’m willing to concede that some of them aren’t seniors. - HenryVK - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:33 am: The repeated attempts by Carroll County to justify/explain are nearly as offensive as the postcards. - Will Caskey - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:34 am: I mean if nothing else they should realize that use of the USPS is subject to restrictions and oversight that, say, email and phone calls are not. - CarrollCounty - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:34 am: “BTW CC nice job of going off-topic in your own unique way.” Rich in previous posts, and others in this thread (HenryVK) object to the word ‘grabber’, considering it extremist. Just defending it. Sorry I will butt out now. - Todd - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:37 am: I hope the senator can come out to my house this summer to enjy the pool and a few drinks. I also hope that our kids can swim together and enjoy and afternoon together. I hope we can enjoy an morning in my duck blind. We have shared a few beers together and I am repulsed by these sort comments. I would suggest that since they appear to be typed we are dealing with someone who has a typewriter so I suggest they crawl bck to,the cave they poked their head out from. - G. Willickers - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:42 am: Considering the “noose” comments that Sen. Kotowski has received from these same anti-American “pro-gun” circles and the beyond-the-pale alerts recently sent by ISRA this is no surprise (ie, “After all, having a child murdered doesn’t automatically make one an expert…”). And no, ISRA, I’m not claiming you encouraged your members to write and send these vile, cowardly cards. I’m simply acknowledging that this is the next logical step beyond your recent bizarre rants against your fellow Americans. - TJ - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:51 am: Disgusting, but nothing new or shocking, sadly. There are morons on every issue, and especially contentious ones have more than their fair share of dregs that send in this type of trash. I still remember getting letters from bikers upset at the fascist idea of requiring helmets for motorcyclists of all things back when I worked in a state rep’s office, for instance. Then again, it is slightly more scary when the people that are writing angry letters definitely have guns… - Will Caskey - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 10:54 am: I mean lol ISRA is crazy and so forth but they’re just responding to a demand. That’s the profile of gun ownership over the past few decades: crashing total owners, skyrocketing owned guns. The median gun owner is pink elephants crazy, hoarding guns with an eye on the black helicopters. There are certainly outliers who are uncharacteristically normal but sorry, math is math. So why wouldn’t ISRA go bonkers about gun grabs and creeping socialism or whatever? Their constituents demand nothing less! - Mason born - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:05 am: Will –The median gun owner is pink elephants crazy, hoarding guns with an eye on the black helicopters.– Something tells me you don’t know many gun owners. - The Jello Governor - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:05 am: The postcards are offensive and totally objectionable. I do not understand why the previous poster suggested that the ISRA was responsible for producing the postcards. I have seen the postcards that the ISRA distributed to their members to address to their legislators and the content was nothing like the hateful comments in the cards shown above. - TooManyJens - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:11 am: There are plenty of sane, reasonable people who want to own guns because they like shooting sports or even because they have reason to fear that their life might be threatened (by an abusing ex-spouse, for instance). And then there’s the fringe that wants guns because they’re afraid that the minorities are going to kill all the white people and/or they think they might need to violently overthrow the government. And while they might not be a large group, they’re whipped up by politicians and gun manufacturers, and they’re pretty much driving policy. If they weren’t, we’d have registration requirements, training and licensing requirements, safe storage requirements, and all sorts of things that we can’t have because the most paranoid people in our country won’t allow it. - John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:15 am: Just because I’m paranoid does not mean that there aren’t authoritarian crazies that want to swoop in and take my guns. - Demoralized - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:24 am: ==Just because I’m paranoid does not mean that there aren’t authoritarian crazies that want to swoop in and take my guns. == Sure there are. There are crazy people on all sides of this issue. But it isn’t going to happen. Period. The paranoia over that is just mindboggling to me. - Grandson of Man - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:25 am: On one hand the postcard writer purports to care about the safety of “honest” Illinois residents, and on the other he or she slurs some of them. Black Nazis? Who would have thought? - Sen Tim Bivins - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:28 am: Senator Raoul and I worked early on to try to craft a conceal and carry bill, in the end we had agreed to disagree on some of the issues. I can tell you while we don’t see eye to eye on many issues we have done so in a very civil manner. We never had a harsh word between us and when a problem arose we tried to find a solution. We also found that we have much more in common than I guess either one of us imagined. I am extremely upset that he has to endure this kind of bigotry and can only guess as to how he feels. I was very honored to have had an opportunity to work with Senator Raoul and to be part of the process in trying to find a solution. Comments like these and those who spew them are simply shameful. - Lil Squeezy - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:35 am: We shouldn’t ignore these people in an effort to deny them a forum. We should post their names and the State Police should be aware so that they can be denied a permit. I don’t know if the State Police has the authority to deny a person a permit for such a reason, but they should- at least for the first postcard. - John A Logan - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:35 am: Sharing the post cards serves no purpose other than to whip up the wild reactionary fringes on both sides of the right to carry debate. - HenryVK - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:46 am: Great to see Logan defending it. Not a word against the language itself but mad at Rich for reporting it. - Anyone Remember? - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:46 am: @John A Logan It is important to know if an issue whips up extreme responses from people. A civil society ignores / minimizes such responses at its own risk. - Small Town Liberal - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:52 am: You know, growing up in rural Illinois, this doesn’t surprise me at all. I hear this kind of language frequently, and not just from old cranks. I don’t condemn the ISRA or NRA because of these idiots, but I reject the idea that this is an extremely rare sentiment in those circles. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:54 am: When there’s a proposal to take firearms from people who lawfully own and operate firearms arguing against that will seem reasonable. But to equate getting less than everything on conceal carry with confiscating firearms makes you look like you have trouble processing reality. Which is the same basic problem racist kooks have. They are so emotionally invested in their worldview they can’t deal with facts that contradict it. And this is the glue that holds the “Conservative” movement together. “I’ll go along with your bigotry, paranoia and delusions if you’ll go along with mine.” - wordslinger - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:54 am: Sen. Bivins, way to step up. - Mr. Wonderful - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:57 am: Well, I hate to throw another turd in the punchbowl, but every time a legislator of any persuasion pushes the little red or green button on his/her desk, they set themselves up for this kind of thing - it’s all part of politics. I’m quite certain that Raoul has gotten plenty of nasty correspondences in the past regarding issues other than guns - just as every other legislator in either chamber has. If you want to be popular with everybody, then sign up for a job at Costco giving away free pizza samples. - Ken_in_Aurora - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 11:58 am: I condemn the message in these postcards and their senders in the strongest possible terms. Every position has it’s crackpot adherents, and these are obviously the product of one or more deranged individuals. About 20 years ago we had a member in my gun club that started making rants like this - and he was immediately drummed out. These are not the product of typical gun owners, and those of you that claim they are need to get a life. - Cincinnatus - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:10 pm: I believe Illinois has a hate speech law. - G. Willickers - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:15 pm: @ The Jello - “I do not understand why the previous poster suggested that the ISRA was responsible for producing the postcards.” Unless Rich deleted someone’s comment, no one has said that. Several have condemned the ISRA’s actual comments which - while bad enough - are one notch below this pond scum. – @ Small Town - “You know, growing up in rural Illinois, this doesn’t surprise me at all. I hear this kind of language frequently, and not just from old cranks. I don’t condemn the ISRA or NRA because of these idiots, but I reject the idea that this is an extremely rare sentiment in those circles.” Agreed that this doesn’t appear to be a rare sentiment among NRA/ISRA-types… especially when they think they’re uttering them anonymously or among like-minded “friends.” That said, these cards were postmarked from the Carol Stream Postal Facility which handles a lot of DuPage County’s mail — Carol Stream, Bloomingdale, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Addison, Glendale Heights, etc. Not exactly rural. - Wensicia - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:17 pm: ==Sharing the post cards serves no purpose other than to whip up the wild reactionary fringes on both sides of the right to carry debate.== I think you’re wrong. It’s important to disclose and publicly condemn comments like this and I commend the NRA supporters whom have done so. This kind of thinking and commentary has no place in a civilized society. Anyone can disagree and have strong point-of-views, but to send out racist messages of hate based on a paranoid defense of your issues crosses the line into social illness, in my opinion. - Rich Miller - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:19 pm: ===Sharing the post cards serves no purpose other than to whip up the wild reactionary fringes on both sides of the right to carry debate=== I think the comments clearly show that this served a very real purpose. So bite me and leave if you can’t deal with it. - dupage dan - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:24 pm: I appreciate Sen Raoul for sharing these cards and for you publishing them. We should all seek to make sure that this kind of ugly sees the light of day. We must call them out for the ugly evil that they portray. To the writers of this cr@p - please use the 2 brain cells you still have - rub them together and think upon the simple fact that you can NOT change any persons mind with that kind of talk. And you won’t convince any other reasonable person either. So you can understand better, I will limit the syllables - stop be ing an id i ot. - Veil of Ignorance - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:29 pm: I cringe to think what kind of postcards Sen. Raoul would get as Attorney General. I’m guessing this same crowd of hate mongers wouldn’t like the State’s top attorney being African-American too much. I try very hard not think too much about people who’d write such things actually possessing guns…I need to sleep at night. - Just Me - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:31 pm: I have long said that one of the reasons our politicians are not ALL smart, dedicated, and honest public servants is because they have to put up with crap like this. Thanks to Raoul for not letting this crap distract him. - Mason born - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:35 pm: STL I don’t know where you grew up but i was born in 75 and you can tell where i was born not exactly metropolitan. I didn’t hear those words out of an individual until i joined the USMC and that was in Oceanside CA. So please don’t paint all of us who like a little fresh air as raving racists. - wordslinger - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:50 pm: –“You know, growing up in rural Illinois, this doesn’t surprise me at all. I hear this kind of language frequently, and not just from old cranks.” It ain’t a rural thing. It’s a racist thing. And the sick ignorance in which it flourishes does not discriminate on the basis of geography, wealth, religion, gender or education. - Fan - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 12:52 pm: I too wish they could track down who sent these. Just to make sure it didn’t come from a citizen who wants to limit the second amendment. I mean, come on, how do you know it is not designed from a grabber to illicit the exact responses I’m seeing here? But, from whatever side it is from, pretty tacky. - John Boch - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 1:02 pm: Rich, would you like to see some of the hate mail I get as Guns Save Life’s president? Kwame’s hate mail is *very* tame compared to what I get fairly regularly. The letters that I receive often threaten violence or hope I or my family meet a violent, untimely demise, often in borderline illiterate prose. Yeah, you’re gonna have some whackadoodles on either side. Neither of them expressed hopes for violence or threatened Kwame’s life. Heck, even you, Rich, have probably gotten a few hate mail missives in your time… and you try to stay halfway in the middle-ground most of the time. John - G. Willickers - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 1:04 pm: @ Fan - take your tin foil hat off bub. - Mason born - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 1:07 pm: John B. I would personally like to encourage you to share those with Rich. When it comes time to Airing the Crazy let’s get it all out. BTW today was a win Congrats. - Fan - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 1:32 pm: @G Willie- Why you want it back now? Until it can be proven the postcards are from a gun enthesiast, I don’t believe it. I recall a certain news organization immediately labels the Colorodo shooter a Tea Party member. Yea, that turned out accurate it didn’t it. - Small Town Liberal - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 1:32 pm: Word, I’m with you, I’m just commenting on what I’ve personally seen and heard, and continue to see and hear. Most everyone I know and love still lives in rural areas, so I certainly don’t have a bias against them. Lack of eloquence aside, it is still my opinion that this ignorance isn’t an extremely rare occurrence. The gun rights advocates would do well for their cause to stamp it out as much as possible. - Skeptic - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 1:44 pm: @Fan: Are you familiar with “Occam’s Razor?” It’s a philosophy that says (in essence) given a choice between two explanations, the simplest one is usually the correct one. Yours isn’t the simplest. That’s why we (or at least I) don’t believe you. - steve schnorf - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 2:06 pm: Every movement, cause, and interest group has its nuts-no surprise - Fan - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 2:50 pm: Skeptic - Well deserved moniker. Well, I won’t lose any sleep if you don’t believe me. But, I’m not trying to sell you something here. I just reserve judgement on if these cards were truly generated by a pro gunner. Therefore, that makes me a skeptic. If I read your comment correctly. - Demoralized - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 3:01 pm: @Fan: Why not just acknowledge that the cards are disgusting and leave it at that. That should be the only response. Period. Give up the paranoia and conspiracy theories. - Demoralized - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 3:03 pm: I will add that having worked in what is essentially the Governor’s mail room 15 years ago I can tell you that there are lots of nutjobs out there. This kind of stuff was par for the course. We got one or two a week. Nobody questioned if they were a hoax. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 3:13 pm: John Boch, you’ve been called out. Time to put your cards on the table or admit you were bluffing. - Fan - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 3:40 pm: Demoral - go back in time to 12:52. Read the last sentence. Yes, abhor the messages even of they were faked. Not saying they are, not saying they aren’t. - Endangered Moderate Species - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 3:44 pm: As a gun owner and supporter of the 2nd amendment, I too am appalled by these postcards but I am not surprised, I have attended guns shows and hunting shows and get very upset by the messages being sold on t-shirts and bumper stickers to the attendees. These messages are thinly veiled attempts at hate mongering. If the ISRA and NRA want to save our gun rights, then they need to quit feeding the monster with hate messaging and do more to educate their supporters about the virtues of “winning friends and influencing people.” - John Boch - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 3:46 pm: “John Boch, you’ve been called out” Posting the profane rants here would be a clear violation of the above terms that specifically say “profanity is absolutely not acceptable”. Google Guns Save Life hate mail if you would like a few… Here’s a tame one: To whom it may concern, I’m so sick of driving to and from school and seeing your pompous signs line the highway. Your organization typifies what is truly wrong with America: dangerously violent ignorance along with an outright lack of intellect and class. You should consider putting up political signs that back the candidate that you oppose, because I’m sure more passerbys see your idiotic signs and say, “I won’t vote for that person if that man backs him,” than say, “WOW!! This man’s signs are highly intellectual and preach healthy reform for a weaking class of American society. I shall vote for that candidate!” I’m sure there’s no hope of convincing you to take down your ridiculoulsy self-degrading signs; however, I would like to voice my opinion to you – whoever you are – in the same manner in which you voice your opinion to thousands of motorists everyday: I think you’re a moron, you should worry about getting a life before you get uptight about saving lives. one more thing Freedom isn’t the right to carry guns around, freedom is the mentality of being safe from weapons and acts of violence in every public place. How free is a society that must constantly worry about who has what weapons under their coat? I hope you can’t honestly say that this type of society is better than one without weapons. Go read you Bible, and stop with the dumb signs. John O’Brien Student, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - wordslinger - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 4:03 pm: –If the ISRA and NRA want to save our gun rights, then they need to quit feeding the monster with hate messaging and do more to educate their supporters about the virtues of “winning friends and influencing people.”– Well said. I would add, anytime those guys want to take the bit on the incredibly lucrative illegal gun traffic that gives all law-abiding gun owners and advocates a bad name, count me in. The next ISRA action-alert that asks their members to put the wood to Chuck’s Gun Shop in Riverdale or the gang-banger-jamboree gun shows just over the Indiana line, copy me and I’ll be there with bells on. - Mason born - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 4:15 pm: wordslinger You called out Chuck guns in Riverdale. I am curious why you called that specific establishment. Would you mind enlightening me? Remember i only read Chicago news when i am waiting for a meeting up there. - wordslinger - Friday, May 24, 13 @ 4:31 pm: Mason, Chuck’s is just outside the south side Chicago city limits in Riverdale. It’s the go-to store for straw buyers. For years, Archies and Jugheads have gone to Chucks to buy guns legally then peddle them to the gangs. When the guns turn up at crime scenes, Archie and Jughead tell the coppers the guns were lost or stolen. Standard business model. Chuck knows his real customer-base. And so do the ISRA and NRA. And that’s a shame. http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/14715658-418/chicago-gangs-dont-have-to-go-far-to-buy-guns.html Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.