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Today’s quotable

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* Illinois State Rifle Association executive director Richard Pearson…

“There is Chicago and then the rest of Illinois, which is like America,” Pearson said.

Um. Hmm. I wonder what he means?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:11 am

Comments

===Um. Hmm. I wonder what he means?

Nah, you don’t wonder at all.

Comment by Archpundit Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:15 am
Rural white conservatives have a disturbing fetish with insisting they are “real America” and everyone else is .. fake, I guess?

A little harm to fathom the reasoning since we’ll be majority-minority in the next few decades and vastly more people in Chicago and New York than the entire Midwestern band of “real America”, but hey! Whatever floats your boat.

Comment by PJ Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:16 am
#MakeEveryPlaceInIllinoisExceptChicgaoGreatAgain

Comment by Skeptic Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:17 am
Hmmm…

Comment by Nick Name Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:18 am
All the dogs in the area are wincing from the whistle.

Comment by pawn Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:20 am
That Chicago is a mixture of many different nationalities and ethnicities, while the rest of Illinois isn’t? I guess Pearson doesn’t know about all the German, French, Dutch and other settlers all over Illinois. But they’re all white, so I guess that makes it ok.

Comment by Steve Rogers Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:24 am
Pawn. Please explain exactly what conclusion you are reaching about about Mr. Pearson. Based upon your “Dog Whistle” comment, I assume there is something very sinister about him that you should not be so vague about.

Comment by Saluki Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:25 am
Yes, one is young, cosmopolitan, open, welcoming and vibrant. The other is old, homogeneous, stagnant and depopulating.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:26 am
For some reason, I suspect that Pearson would make similar comments about Chicago Heights, Dolton or Harvey. Can’t say for sure, but that seems consistent with his reasoning.

By the way, note that that Pearson did not say Evanston or Oak Park, because being considered far left is not quite the point Pearson is trying to make.

Comment by Gooner Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:26 am
==I assume there is something very sinister about him==

Either you’re playing dumb or truly don’t understand the meaning behind “rural areas are real America and the big city isn’t”. Neither option reflects well upon you.

Comment by PJ Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:29 am
Sad, weak and predictable from Pearson. It’s the oldest, moldiest red meat to toss.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:30 am
===Yes, one is young, cosmopolitan, open, welcoming and vibrant. The other is old, homogeneous, stagnant and depopulating.===

Which Chicago neighborhoods fall into those two categories?

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:30 am
Open, welcoming and vibrant:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/42-shot-5-killed-in-weekend-gun-violence/

Comment by Occam Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:31 am
read the article - his statement is reaction to the history of restrictive gun control laws in Chicago.

Comment by Texas Red Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:35 am
Doesn’t he know that in Trump’s America you’re allowed to say the quiet part loud and we’re just supposed to pretend that’s just one of two equal “sides”

Comment by SWILVoter Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:36 am
More importantly — why would anyone care?

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:39 am
@47th Ward….you nailed it.

Comment by Flynn's Mom Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:40 am
Perhaps a more informed and sincere attempt to describe what is “like America.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/30/opinion/urban-rural-united-states-regions-midterms.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:41 am
Easy peasy:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_Illinois,_2016#/media/File:Illinois_Presidential_Election_Results_2016.svg

Comment by Practical Politics Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:42 am
Folks Pearson works for a gun lobby organization. Chicago is very anti-gun. I wouldn’t read to much into his comment.

Comment by Facts Matter Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:42 am
~Facts Matter~
Can we “read into” the gun lobby’s selective defenses of white gun owners who kill black folks vs their lack of defense for black gun owners like philando Castile who get killed by police?

Comment by SWILVoter Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:45 am
Pearson should stick with gun issues.

Playing culture warrior, and speaking for “America,” are signs of losing political ground.

Comment by walker Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:52 am
I’m so confused. By “the rest of Illinois,” did he mean the 11% of the population that lives in rural areas and is like the 20% of the population of the U.S. that is rural? And by, “America” (which is a continent, not a country), did he actually mean the U.S.?

Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:54 am
Why can’t we all just get along?

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 11:59 am
One is not a “well regulated militia” the other is…

Comment by DUOPOLY Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 12:02 pm
Texas Red,

Which Chicago gun laws do you find restrictive?

In reality, if that was the criteria, then Highland Park and Oak Park would be higher on the list.

Gosh, I wonder how Chicago really is different from Highland Park and Oak Park? What do you think, Texas Red?

Comment by Gooner Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 12:12 pm
Me thinks he was referring to Chicago style pizza.

Comment by BlueDogDem Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 12:17 pm
==Gosh, I wonder how Chicago really is different from Highland Park and Oak Park==

Elected school board?

Comment by City Zen Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 12:22 pm
Rauner-Pritzker. The Village People redux.

Comment by BlueDogDem Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 12:34 pm
==[Pearson]argued that holders of firearm owner identification cards, or FOIDs, commit fewer crimes than the general population because they undergo regular background checks.==
Chicagoans can have FOID cards and concealed carry cards just like everyone else in Illinois. So how are they different?

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 12:40 pm
–read the article - his statement is reaction to the history of restrictive gun control laws in Chicago.–

No, this is what he said.

–“There is Chicago and then the rest of Illinois, which is like America,” Pearson said. “Those in Chicago won’t control themselves. They want to change the laws for the rest of the state.”–

So, it’s raining on my shoes? Good to know.

There’s also a very long history of racial Chicago-bashing from certain quarters in this state. Who are you trying to kid?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 12:46 pm
City Zen, maybe he means streets with flowers planted in the medians. That’s pretty unusual in America.

Yeah, that’s it. Flowers.

Comment by Gooner Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 12:53 pm
@12:34
Wrong post.

Comment by BlueDogDem Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 1:15 pm
Almost makes you yearn for the days when racism was so open and blatant that morons couldn’t deny it.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 1:43 pm
Hmmm. Chicago sees an epidemic of violence associated with gangs and guns as their tool to dish it out.

Not happening in Dupage, Kendal, Will, Lake, its happening in a few areas of chicago. Since they can’t get their problem under control, they go to Springfield to effect the rights of everyone else.

Its a great dog whistle that Daley employed for years, blaming the gun lobby for all his crime woes.

so when it comes to 5 killed and 40 shot over the weekend, there is chicago and then there is the rest of the state

Comment by Todd Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 1:58 pm
It’s Ol’ Reliable, the old dog whistle. Stoke up rural white conservatives’ resentment of big city Democrats and their voters, many of whom are black and brown.

Trump knows this play very well, and the GOP has to be elated and relieved its autopsy of the 2012 presidential election was not followed—reach out to minorities. The electoral strength of the GOP depends a lot on the resentment, anger and fear of rural whites.

Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 2:01 pm
===Not happening in Dupage, Kendal, Will, Lake, its happening in a few areas of chicago.===

And Springfield, Decatur, Peoria…….

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 2:10 pm
Gee Todd, I would have thought you were more knowledgeable about Illinois. Maybe it’s not in your interest.

https://herald-review.com/news/state-and-regional/most-dangerous-cities-in-illinois/collection_3477ce57-e3e2-5d9b-b564-258113eb6171.html#3

Comment by worslinger Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 2:12 pm
The rest of Illinois doesn’t have a pro sports franchise. Maybe that’s what he means.

Comment by Skeptic Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 2:21 pm
Maybe Pearson wants to be the moutpice for an I-80 succession movement?

Comment by Boone's is Back Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 2:27 pm
Reminds me of what James Carville said about Pennsylvania, “It’s Pittsburgh on one end, Philadelphia on the other, and Alabama in between.”

Comment by Michael Westen Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 3:25 pm
A mere punctuation error. He meant to place a question mark at the end. The answer is “Chicago”. 52% voted with Chicago in 2016. Kinda like Trump’s “would” and “wouldn’t”

Comment by wondering Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 3:29 pm
“There is the ISRA and then the rest of Illinois, which is like America,” There, fixed it.

Comment by d.p.gumby Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 3:30 pm
Not happening in Lake County? I don’t understand deliberate ignorance.

Comment by Wensicia Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 3:40 pm
==to effect the rights of everyone else==

Do you still have guns? Yes? Well then I guess you still have your rights.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 3:43 pm
==Well then I guess you still have your rights.==
CCW in IL only happened because of court decree, and only “recently”. If Chicago pol’s had their way, there wouldn’t be a single legally-obtained firearm in city limits (but there would still be plenty of them in the hands of criminals). THAT’s what Pearson was talking about. Unless, he was alluding that African Americans are moving out of Chicago at an unprecedented rate, presumably due to the presence of violence and lack of jobs.

Comment by Stuntman Bob's Brother Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 4:50 pm
–CCW in IL only happened because of court decree, and only “recently”. –

What “court decree” was that? Show where it, or any other “court decree,” required concealed-carry, anywhere, ever.

The history is a little more complex and nuanced than you are pretending.

Concealed-carry became law in Illinois with veto-proof votes in the House and Senate.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 5:02 pm
CCW in Illinois is over five years old. Hardly recent.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 5:49 pm
–“There is Chicago and then the rest of Illinois, which is like America,” Pearson said.–

We all know that real Americans are old NRA geezers susceptible to honey-traps who launder Russian gangster-state money into the American political process.

Like John Wayne used to do, all the time, amirite?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 9:05 pm
Word, my recollection comes from this story, or one very similar, which says that the legislature passed CCW due to a federal court order:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/07/09/illinois-enacts-concealed-gun-law/2503083/

And Wolf, I used parentheses around the word recent because although it did happen several years ago, IL was still the last state in the US to enact its CCW law. Relative to the rest of the country, we’re definitely “recent”. I’ve said before that I’m not a “gun guy”, but I try to read the news daily, and some of it sticks in long-term memory, this being a case in point.

Comment by Stuntman Bob's Brother Monday, Jul 30, 18 @ 10:24 pm
While it’s nice you have personal definitions for words, if you want to communicate with other people you need conventional definitions. No English speaking person would know that recent means long ago but the last in a group to change.
But it’s moot, because Pearson was speaking in the present tense, not about five years ago.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Tuesday, Jul 31, 18 @ 8:13 am
Maybe he was lamenting on he rampant street crime without leadership strong enough or willing to curb it ? Residents who live by the creed “its the tax you pay when you live in the city” referring to any number of costly things one endures to live there.

Comment by NorthsideNoMore Tuesday, Jul 31, 18 @ 9:30 am
NorthsideNomore, no that can’t be it since Chicago’s crime rate is third. He’s pretty clearly talking about black people.

Comment by Gooner Tuesday, Jul 31, 18 @ 9:41 am
==No English speaking person would know that recent means long ago but the last in a group to change.==

My thought is that language (word definition) is fluid with context - weather, climate, and geology being three examples of how the word “recent” can be interpreted differently. Since Pearson’s focus is gun laws (NRA), I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he differentiated Chicago, and Illinois, in that context. And, “recent”, as it pertains to gun laws, can easily encompass several years. Guess we have to agree to disagree.

Comment by Stuntman Bob's Brother Tuesday, Jul 31, 18 @ 10:36 am