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This just in… ISRA issues apology

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Illinois

* From the Illinois State Rifle Association…

In a recent alert, the ISRA criticized those who exploit shocking criminal events for the purpose of diminishing the Constitutional rights of law-abiding firearm owners. We regret that some have construed our remarks as being insensitive to persons who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Such was certainly not our intent and we apologize to those we realize were genuinely offended.

Like all Americans, the Officers, Directors and members of the Illinois State Rifle Association are saddened by the carnage committed by vicious criminals. We equally abhor the now predictable pattern of bashing law-abiding firearm owners that follows such events.

Background on the group’s inane statement is here. [Fixed link.]

From what I understand, ISRA got major heat from their legislative allies for that boneheaded move.

And I’m not sure this apology really cuts it, but whatever.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:48 pm

Comments

Keep digging, boys. “We regret that some have construed our remarks” means “We are not sorry for what we said. We are sorry you didn’t like what we said.”

They need to fire whoever was responsible for both the initial statement and the apology.

Comment by HenryVK Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:53 pm
I’m sorry that you were offended by our press release?!

That’s something only a three year old would say. Sadly, that sounds about the highest level of discourse these morons will ever achieve.

Comment by ChrisB Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:55 pm
HenryVK

On that we can agree.

Comment by Mason born Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:56 pm
of course that moron should have been fired years ago.

Comment by Mason born Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:58 pm
Sheesh, comes off like an 8 year old that punched the class nerd being forced to apologize with his head down and hands in his pockets. Clowns.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:59 pm
No Rich, the “apology” doesn’t cut it.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:59 pm
I was just going to say the same thing.

Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:00 pm
@Henry
we can agree on you final sentence for the most part.

Comment by RonOglesby Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:00 pm
Upon second reading, it is even worse: “those who exploit shocking criminal events.”

The idea that the victims are being “exploited” is greatly insulting to the victims. It says that they are not in control. It says that the victims are not making the choice to take a stand but instead some other group is somehow causing them, or exploiting them to take action.

No ISRA, they are not being “exploited.” They are standing up for what they believe. ISRA, time to start treating those victims with some respect and some dignity.

Comment by HenryVK Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:00 pm
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black - exploiting criminal events to advance your cause?…sheesh!

Comment by Stones Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:01 pm
“We’re sorry for what the other guys have done,” does not make an apology.

Comment by Transplant Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:03 pm
Rich, your link for the background on the story goes to the medical marijuana story, not the original ISRA statement.

Comment by ??? Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:04 pm
Henry

To give the Moron his Due i’m not sure he meant the families in that part. If you read the whole release it is aimed at those who are using the tragedy as a prop. AKA Piers Morgan etc.

That being said the Dip#$@ should still be fired.

Comment by Mason born Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:06 pm
“Talk about the pot calling the kettle black - exploiting criminal events to advance your cause?…sheesh! ”

Nonono. Read it again: it’s only those who exploit events to DIMINISH rights. If you do the same thing to PROTECT rights it’s fine.

Just so long as the right you are attempting to protect is NOT Life and Liberty of the victims of those events. That would be abhorent.

ALSO: *Classic* non-apology. This has ‘ten best{worst]’ written all over it. “We’re sorry that you all are stupid and ‘misconstrued’ what we meant”. [expletive]ing [expletive]s. May they all rot in their own bile.

Comment by Chris Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:07 pm
“We’re sorry that some were offended by our offensiveness…”

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:17 pm
Someone did a study a few years ago and found that companies that have a problem and then fix it got rated higher than companies that never had a problem. So maybe this is the idea not just with the ISRA but with discourse in general. Perhaps they think if they say something offensive and then apologize, they’ll be viewed higher than if they had just said something rational in the first place?

Comment by Skeptic Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:24 pm
“…the now predictable pattern of bashing law-abiding firearm owners that follows such events.”

How is the attempt to keep guns out of the hands of known criminals and the mentally ill, while protecting the rights of law-abiding firearm owners, bashing those rights?

Just once, I would like to hear someone from the gun lobby support these goals in the interest of protecting potential innocent victims.

Comment by Wensicia Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:33 pm
That was an apology?

Comment by David Ormsby Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:52 pm
“We regret that some have construed” - the coward’s non-apology apology.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:58 pm
No… That was not an apology. It was tactless. Provided further merit to the “sterotypical” image most folks have in their minds when it comes to pro gun owner organizations. If ISRA members want to fire something…. They should fire the person responsible for this “Apology”.

Comment by Albert.... Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:59 pm
Not an apology at all, because there was no admission of being wrong. An apology would say, “We apologize for being insensitive to the pain of the Newtown families.” Also the sly dig at all who disagree with them, by extending the apology who all were “genuinely offended” implying that some people would not be offended. I can’t imagine who would not be offended by the original statement, except for a psychopath.

Comment by jake Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:05 pm
A classic non-apology apology as evidenced by these phrases: “we apologize to those we realize were genuinely offended” and “We regret that some have construed our remarks as being insensitive.”

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:19 pm
ISRA really needs a top down cleaning. And I’m a very enthusiastic gun owner and gun rights proponent!

Comment by Ken_in_Aurora Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:21 pm
Some apology…maybe as bad as the original comment.

Comment by Original Rambler Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:36 pm
Is anyone surprised by the comments. At some point you have to face up to the fact that guns make these types of incidents all the easier. There is really no other legal product that can be used tin mass murders. Killers like to use guns because they don’t have the guts to confront face to fac they would rather. do it from far away.

Comment by Etown Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:41 pm
I’m a gun owner who is consistently embarrassed to be lumped together with the ISRA. I hope legislators realize that they do not represent the majority of Illinois gun owners.

Comment by dr. reason a. goodwin Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:41 pm
Their level of offense between deaths of innocents and verbal bashing of “law-abiding gun owners” is EQUAL?
So, “sorry your kid died..but isn’t it equally horrible that recreational ownders of assalt rifles are now being villified?” Ummm no. No - it’s actually not equal at all.

Comment by DemDownstater Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:44 pm
Apologies for typos above.

Comment by DemDownstater Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:45 pm
Etown

– There is really no other legal product that can be used tin mass murders.–

No other legal product? How about Fireworks and pressure cookers? Airplanes? A can of Gasoline was used to kill 87 people in the Happy Land Arson. McVeigh used Fertilizer and Diesel fuel. Unfortunately these sick people have been around throughout history. Remember the largest school massacre was 1927.

As for the far away thing all of these murderers have been in the same room at the time of the murder. The only ones who were far away were the D.C. Snipers.

Comment by Mason born Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:03 pm
I understand that they “abhor” their political opponents’ referencing actual gun violence when talking about how to prevent theoretical gun violence. However, it seems a sign of seriously flawed priorities to say that their abhorrence of that practice is EQUAL to their feelings about the mass murder of children. Grow up already, ISRA.

Comment by Snucka Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:19 pm
On a closer reading, nearly every sentence in their “apology” is juvenile and disingenuous.

Comment by Snucka Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:20 pm
Mason born - just so the troll knows - the 1927 mass murder was done with explosives.

Comment by dupage dan Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:35 pm
thin statement. not enough. would not be surprised to see the statement read and discussed on, oh, say Rachel Maddow’s show.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:37 pm
DuPage

Didn’t know i was a troll will have to find a bridge. I know that the 1927 bombing was explosives. What i was trying to say is the sick individuals that commit these crimes have been around for as long as our recorded history.

Comment by Mason born Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:45 pm
Mason, I understood Dan to be referring to Etown as the troll.

Comment by LTSW Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 6:04 pm
Dupage

Sorry. time to unplug and play with my kids.

Comment by Mason born Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 7:12 pm