Phake Guns
There was a time when kids wanting toy guns had limited media images of cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers to emulate. Today, not so.
So the Rev. Michael Pfleger said he is challenging the sale of the toys — in Easter baskets — to a generation plagued by more violent and rampant use of guns in their own neighborhoods.
“I am writing to express my concern and outrage that Kmart is selling Easter baskets, which are obviously for children, with toy guns in them,” Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church in Auburn-Gresham, wrote to officials at the big box retailer, in a Mar. 9 letter obtained by the Sun-Times.
“With the increasing gun violence in Chicago and across this country, I am amazed that you would choose to offer toy guns to our children to make them comfortable with playing with them. I am asking you to remove any baskets with toy guns in them from your store’s shelves immediately,” Pfleger wrote.
These are Nerf guns and water pistols, maybe not really "Easter" fare, but in a way, indicative that spring is right around the corner. Then he comes up with this whopper:
- “As a Christian I’m insulted that Kmart or any store would use this celebration of life to have images of guns in Easter baskets, encouraging parents to buy them for their children. But equally important is that any psychiatrist will tell you a child who gets comfortable playing with toy guns and pointing them at people as a child becomes comfortable picking them up as an adult. In a nation that’s plagued with gun violence, neither Kmart nor any other store should be selling guns in Easter baskets to our kids.”
We'd certainly like to to see those psychiatrists' credentials and studies. Everything we've read lately is that gun violence in down nationwide - just about everywhere except Chicago, specifically Englewood, where we're on the verge of setting records. There is no epidemic of gun violence anywhere else.
Labels: gun issues, silly people
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
77 Comments:
NO MORE TOY GUNS!
Fill the Easter baskets with fully-loaded GLOCKS with oversize mags and one in the chamber.
Pink water guns.
Tsk, tsk.
Whatever is this world coming to?
Phleger is an idiot.
Went over to Kmart tonight and spent about $50.00.
Thank you, Kmart.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I'll have to get back to them with a personal note.
Vanilla Priest and his Minstrel Show is at it again. Weren't there just two shootings at 1200 W. 81st St. and 83rd and Paulina? K-Mart squirt guns used? Nice work as usual Rev. Keepin' it safe and keepin' it real in the hood. Ha.
I don't think a man that can not follow orders from his own clergy should be telling anyone else what they should do
Yes Phleger, the toy guns are to blame for the breakdown of the family unit in the hood. The toy guns are to blame, not the immature, ill prepared having kids and being unable to teach them values. Instead of talking about toy guns how about talking about the mentality of people with little money or on welfare buying $200 pairs of shoes. Unfortunately Fleger you feel obligated to attack the "white establishment" instead of criticising your constituents.
When is Cardinal George retiring, so that, just perhaps, a cardinal with testicular fortitude could come in ship this nitwit racist phlager out to East Bumfuck or somewhere else that will not give him a podium for his ranting?
Guns have no place in Easter baskets! We all know guns (real guns) are only given to our children, family, and friends as Christmas gifts.
Ok I get the part about guns not belonging in an easter basket. But just becuase your parishioners kids will grow up and become gun toting thugs doesnt mean mine or for that matter the ones in my neighborhood will. This is a problem specific to YOUR area and YOUR followers.
maybe he should preach about ''personal responsibilty'' ''respect for human life'' ''lack of proper parenting'' ''drug and alcohol abuse'' ''children having children..
Father Flavor is a legend in his own mind. He has to get on tv every couple of weeks and pronounce that he is against something. Guns in the hands of criminals and thugs is the problem. Put the blame where it belongs. I would guess K Mart didn't make a "contribution" to the good Father.
How about a crack pipe or bottle of Night Train wine in the baskets. Would that be safer Father?
I love my kids nerf guns. I shoot those little nerf bullets at my dog and he tries to catch them with his mouth. Uh oh...is Father Pfleger gonna call Animal Care and Control on me?
Is the Father afraid kids might grow up and shhot their priest.When he tries to mess with them?
The other morning I was in the acadamy range waiting to qualify. This know it all range guy was telling people that they aren't like the old range instructors and that he wants people to actually pass. Who does this guy think he is talking down on the old school range instructors? While he was saying this, I saw Officer Pappas standing next to the people waiting to shoot, how disrespectful. Let me get out of this department.
From the cyberbunker of Schicklegroover...
Easter should not be associated with guns or any mention of violence. In my house, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus who died quietly in his sleep of natural causes.
This version of the story should be mandatory by rule of law. Have the city leaders get to work on this erosion of religious freedom when they've finished "tweaking" our freedom of expression via General Orders.
From the cyberbunker of Schicklegroover...
I am heartened by the outrage expressed by my fellow officers regarding the department's attempt at stifling free speech. It gives me great hope in the ongoing battle. Box Chevy Phantom in particular - keep it up please.
Oathkeeper till Death
Ban all sales of Easter Baskets in Englewood and Harrison.
The shrink is as crazy as Phleger. If this was true every kid in America would be a serial killer. I had more toy guns as a kid than I can count. Same for my kids 30 years later. I'm sick of reading about so called "experts" telling the rest of us how to live.
Sadly, I have to agree with him. I loved toy guns as a kid, but I couldn't fathom my parents allowing me to get a friggin' Easter basket with one in it. Water gun or not. Kmart did something ridiculous here.
I don't know. I played with water guns and shit like that when I was a kid. Comfortable around guns NOW, and in almost 40 years of life, I've NEVER pointed a gun at a person.
But I'm sure people [who can't think for themselves] are eating his shit up.
What if instead of blaming Kmart, he blamed parents who don't teach their kids the difference between right and wrong?
Oh, I know, it's because maybe his "flock" wouldn't feel coddled and have excuses made for them by this attention whore.
Makes me want to go shop at Kmart just because they stood their ground.
For Christ's sake , when will we be rid of this Father Phlamer. What a tool.
I kind of have to agree with him on one thing. Guns in Easter baskets? Kind of dumb and out of place if you ask me. And no, I'm not a stupid yuppie scum. Been OTJ since 1980
"K-Mart announced it would stop selling Easter Baskets with images of children on them. A K-Mart spokesman said 'Any psychologist will tell you once a priest sees an image of a small child, his desire to have one cannot be assuaged.'"
What about Nerf hand grenades and land mines, are they inappropriate too? His neighborhood is littered with crack pipes, needles, shell casings and used condoms, but he is worried about those nerf bullets laying around. Nothing to see here folks, move along.
" As a Christian "?
You anything but a Christian.
Your a racist and hate monger.
`father faker should demand that a subscription to an employment service should be in the baskets so his lay-about 40oz & hot chips parishoners can find work and get off the public dole.
He should also arrange for classes to teach these folks how to behave like civilized human beings, if he recalls exactly what that type of behavior that is.
Guns don't kill, ghetto thugs Kill !!!!!
How much Grecian Formula do you think this guy goes through a week?
Maybe a better idea would be installing condoms and rusty coathangers. It would solve a lot of issues.
As a Christian, I'm insulted by Phleger.
Ha, why isn't the Rev. talking the "crime is down" line?
Talk about selective memory!
Can he be serious about "There was a time when kids wanting toy guns had limited media images of cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers to emulate."
"Limited images"? What time is this that he speaks of?
All those WWII and Nam war movies that go way back to the 50's, 60's and 70's!
The weekly: Vic Morrow and Combat, Convoy, Garrison's Gorillas, Twelve O'clock High, The Untouchables, Have Gun–Will Travel, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Gunslinger, M Squad. Many of those TV shows that came on right after school. Dirty Harry. John Wayne the lists go on...guns have been in the media images for decades and they were not so limited.
How about we take the toy guns out of the Easter baskets and put in copies of Grand Theft Auto instead, will that work?
soon his pal jj will be amening this latest observation by this narcistic padre. they crave the spot light, and will say, or do anything, to get attention. when will they speak the truth about who really is at fault for violence in the black community? i got it, the easter bunny.
Since when does he care if toy guns are for sale? his supporters wouldn't be able to support his cause if they didn't use guns and drugs to provide the monies, so who is he trying to fool? Please, give a freaking break for a really dark minded person like him that now he minds guns, that's a joke! He should tell for his followers to stop committing crimes and no more weed, see how fast they turn their backs on him.
The only people that actually believe this clown is a priest are the fools that march to the beat of his unholy drum. This guy is an extortionist and the catholic church makes good money off of his act. Probably the main reason they keep him. It's always about $$$$$.
As a child of the sixties myself and my friends played with all the Mattel toy guns. None of us have had a negative issue before or since because of it. Just more talk to dissuade from the real issue for crime in the black areas. Sabina should focus on the family unit. Where is the parental guidance. Its non existent. Remove the 2 inch pink springtime squirt gun. What a laugh. Its sad what the black community listens to from their supposed leaders.
Weren't these nerf guns and water pistols? Once again this idiot hasn't gotten any press lately so he's scraping the bottom of the barrel. How dare the pastor of St.Margarets, Father Mallette steal all of Phlegers thunder by being beaten almost to death. Who does he think he is??????
I demand that the catholic church take phake priests out of parishes immediately.
How about no more phake preachers/ pastors/ Revs??
What leaders for your community. Pfleger ,Sharpton, Jackson, and various sports people with fleeting glory that sometimes turns disastrous. What a deck of cards you have to deal with. Truly sad.
Gee whiz this guy really thinks he's some kind of dictator. He's not a Christian he's a communists attempting to engatiate himself to the black community so that he can better enculcate them in Marxist principles. He's a fraud and disgrace to the church and catholics everywhere. Lets bring back the inquisition already.
time to recall fake reverends.
What's next. ..cops & robbers?
......can we say DISTRACTION from the real causes.
don't think a man that can not follow orders from his own clergy should be telling anyone else what they should do
3/15/2012 12:41:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Yes Phleger, the toy guns are to blame for the breakdown of the family unit in the hood. The toy guns are to blame, not the immature, ill prepared having kids and being unable to teach them values. Instead of talking about toy guns how about talking about the mentality of people with little money or on welfare buying $200 pairs of shoes. Unfortunately Fleger you feel obligated to attack the "white establishment" instead of criticising your constituents.
Excellent posts!!! Ya nailed it right there!!!
What....l
Phleger couldn't blackmail KMart to make a large donation, KMart called his bluff
Unfortunately, he'll run to Big Daddy Jesse Jackson and whine how KMart was mean to him and KMart will open a Super K on 79th street so the young Men of st Sabrina can shoplift and break into cars
What about real guns in his parish boundaries?
Other than talk hibbitty-jibbitty about guns & shooting, what has he done and what were the results?
Institutional racism comes to mind.
So does 'The Gods Must Be Crazy', I hope a Coke bottle hits him on the head.
All talk - no results.
The Show must go on.
nobody is forcing them to buy them.
pADRE FLAKER should know
1 parent family , guns and drugs in many homes , no respect for teachers , police or any adults
that's the problem , not cap , squirt and paint ball guns
he's thw white jesse jackass rev dullton of chicago
Phather Phaker go escort some school kids to class in Engelwood and get some street cred
With God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly...from WKRP in Cincinatti (sp?).
I'm insulted also. Insulted that you call yourself a Christian. You want to decry gun violence? Head to South Africa, I'm sure your efforts would be welcome. And besides, there are countless children there that could help you unload your weapon! Now, go wash your hands and say 5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys and get the Hell out of Here!
“As a Christian I’m insulted that Kmart or any store would use this celebration of life to have images of guns in Easter baskets, encouraging parents to buy them for their children. But equally important is that any psychiatrist will tell you a child who gets comfortable playing with toy guns and pointing them at people as a child becomes comfortable picking them up as an adult. In a nation that’s plagued with gun violence, neither Kmart nor any other store should be selling guns in Easter baskets to our kids.”
------
Um, how about the kids see daddy when he stops by with guns in his possession, or gang-banging brother pookie with his pistol? I think that would cause 'children' to get comfortable with guns, not a pissy little squirt gun. How about that father stupid?
Anonymous said...
I don't think a man that cannot follow orders from his own clergy should be telling anyone else what they should do
3/15/2012 12:41:00 AM
------------------------------
A great observation.
Well-said. I could not be more eloquent in saying what you said.
Not a LEO, JAFO
So then no matter where you live K Mart is selling those guns in baskets,so that does not relate to crime but certainly has nothing to do with Easter,parents should acknowledge this and not purchase this item and leave it on the shelf,unfortunately money and profits are more important to big business than the Psychlogical well being of our children,be very careful parents,oddly enough I as a boy growing up i had a few play guns and I remember the concerns of my parents even then,and what do you know,I became a police officer!
When is Cardinal George retiring, so that, just perhaps, a cardinal with testicular fortitude could come in ship this nitwit racist phlager out to East Bumfuck or somewhere else that will not give him a podium for his ranting?
+++++++++++++++++++++
Yes, it could be east bumfuck or Mt. Greenwood, Beverly, Sauganash, Garfield Ridge, Oak Lawn, Park Ridge or anywhere else that there's a Catholic church. I say leave him right where he's at.
Be careful what you wish for.
This priest is a total hack and nut job. A flock of real sheep wouldn't follow him because they have more sense than the simpletons of the ghetto who listen to his ranting. Why the media continues to put this fool on TV is beyond comprehension, as this only further diminishes their credibility. Last week, it was another march against violence, this week it is a march against toys. Phleger is almost as much an egomaniac and media whore as Blagojevich . No matter how bad they look or ridiculous they sound, they continue to seek their 15 minutes of fame.
This priest is a total hack and nut job. A flock of real sheep wouldn't follow him because they have more sense than the simpletons of the ghetto who listen to his ranting. Why the media continues to put this fool on TV is beyond comprehension, as this only further diminishes their credibility. Last week, it was another march against violence, this week it is a march against toys. Phleger is almost as much an egomaniac and media whore as Blagojevich . No matter how bad they look or ridiculous they sound, they continue to seek their 15 minutes of fame.
Ever since Toy guns were discouraged Decades ago by the Liberal Pin-Head [DEMOCRAT] Social Engineers, there have been more real murders and crimes committed with REAL guns. Perhaps we should return to the old school days, let these kids play with toy Guns again, and get it out of their sytems, so they won't have such a rabid interest in using the Real Thing. Remember, the GOVERNMENT [DEMOCRAT COMMUNISTS] and the Mainstream News Media [DEMOCRAT SOCIALISTS] are really ALWAYS WRONG on basically everything. This is why EVERYTHING, Everywhere, is basically ALL Fucked Up. It's the Government and the Media that are destroying America. The MORE they do, the MORE things go down the drain.
When I was a kid, about 12, I got a Japanese bolt action rifle an uncle brought home from the war. Somehow I never shot anyone. Maybe it is just American guns that are the problem. It couldn't be Pfleger's flock, could it?
"There is no epidemic of gun violence anywhere else."
No such thing as "gun violence" SCC.
Human beings that have no regard for human life commit these crimes.
I kind of have to agree with him on one thing. Guns in Easter baskets? Kind of dumb and out of place if you ask me. And no, I'm not a stupid yuppie scum. Been OTJ since 1980
3/15/2012 08:09:00 AM
Yes, it's silly. You might even call it out of place. But, is it criminal? No. Immoral? A pastel colored water shooter? I don't think so.
If you don't want an Easter basket with toys in it, DON'T BUY IT. What a non-issue. Flaker must be desperate for some attention.
The real question is what does an Easter basket have to do with Easter?
And yes, Phuket should be excommunicated for disobedience!
Maybe he can start his very own M.B. Church, I know the ghetto coppers will understand that!
What a crock of shit. This guy Phaker is as lame as that Jesse Jackson Jr commercial where the black woman is begging everyone to vote for triple-J to get handguns off the street 'cause her son was killed by a handgun.Actually, her son was killed by some youth who never learned the value of human life. Where I live, my neighbors and I own many firearms, but we don't use them on each other, as seems to be in fashion in certain Chicago neighborhoods these days.
“PFAKER" SAID:
As a Christian I’m insulted that Kmart or any store would use this celebration of life to have images of guns in Easter baskets, encouraging parents to buy them for their children. But equally important is that any psychiatrist will tell you a child who gets comfortable playing with toy guns and pointing them at people as a child becomes comfortable picking them up as an adult. In a nation that’s plagued with gun violence, neither Kmart nor any other store should be selling guns in Easter baskets to our kids.”
As a kid I watched shows like, Gunsmoke, High Chaparral, and my favorite Combat! (remember the exclamation point was a bayonet)? I'd watch these shows with my DAD (hint,hint dear Father faker) and as we would watch these shows you would understand the points made, like hard work (ever work a cattle ranch) also the forces of good and evil. Every week on these shows someone got killed, some good, some bad.
I also watched cartoons and kids shows like Bugs Bunny, Road Runner and Superman. And again I usually watched these shows as a family or just Me and DAD hanging out. We loved watching Poncho & Cisco… You see Fr. Pfaker the key theme here is: Family and a real understanding of fantasy and reality.
I also had toy guns, lots of them! Pearl handled chrome "Peacemakers" with the roll of red caps. remember those? An orange colored Colt .45 dart pistol, rubber knives! I had the best Armory on the block. We would play WAR or COWBOYS AND INDIANS, and my personal favorite COPS AND ROBBERS!
After watching the T.V shows or playing with toy guns I continued on with REALITY. I did not try to drop a fucking anvil on my brothers head like Wile E. Coyote or lace rockets to my roller skates to get to school faster!
I remember lying in the back yard with my Mother, just hanging out with MOM, we were looking at the sky and picking out shapes of the puffy clouds. One cloud looked like a dog! Now I did not put on my bed sheet as a cape and try to rescue the poor pooch or take him for a walk.... Reality vs. Fantasy.
Playing with toy guns does not make you a killer I don't care what the "experts" say. A sick mind makes you a killer. I f we were to use this thought process, if I played with a Playskol tool set I'd be a fucking mechanic?
SUA SPONTE
Lack of jobs my ass. Any determined teenager can find work, but its difficult when 95% of your young community smokes weed. They fail the piss test. An entire generation of unemployed people stopped at the application process. Maybe he should mention that.
when will the Catholic archdiocese in Chicago get the balls to oust this clown?
After watching the T.V shows or playing with toy guns I continued on with REALITY. I did not try to drop a fucking anvil on my brothers head like Wile E. Coyote or lace rockets to my roller skates to get to school faster!
I remember lying in the back yard with my Mother, just hanging out with MOM, we were looking at the sky and picking out shapes of the puffy clouds. One cloud looked like a dog! Now I did not put on my bed sheet as a cape and try to rescue the poor pooch or take him for a walk.... Reality vs. Fantasy.
Playing with toy guns does not make you a killer I don't care what the "experts" say. A sick mind makes you a killer. I f we were to use this thought process, if I played with a Playskol tool set I'd be a fucking mechanic?
SUA SPONTE
3/16/2012 10:11:00 AM
Oh how that brings back memories.I aint shooted nobuddy ether
A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
You have to wonder if this started,after people listened to this man ?
If father Vanilla Fudge & the press keep the focus on guns, they do not have to concentrate on the real problem of un-civilized thugs being bred in certain neighborhoods. For them, it's an accepted & well established life style.
Seriously, like the Easter Bunny is going to Englewood without a gun? Get real.
This Pflager is such a little bitch.
Kids who get Easter baskets on Easter normally have loving parents who teach them right from wrong and discipline them and kids who are doing the shooting normally don't have parents or parents who give a shit about them.
What kind of rich kids get toys in their easter baskets anyway. We got of bunch of real dyed eggs, jelly beans and marshmellow chickens. If we wanted toys we had to go shoplift them just like everyone else.
Easter morning. News reports, easter bunny raped and shot in head, eggs gone. He was just about to think about going down and stealing a paper to look for a job.
I just am wondering when they started making guns look like wallets and cell phones?
Post a Comment
<< Home