Jewish Marksmen Need to Take a Stand

The primary focus of this blog is Jews who participate in shooting sports. There are other organizations with web sites that focus on gun rights, notably Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JFPO), so as a rule I try to avoid duplicating their efforts.

I need to make an exception to that rule and inform my readers about a controversy that has arisen in the most gun-unfriendly state in the Union, my native state of Illinois. The controversy was caused by the graphic above which was used by a gun rights group. In case you cannot clearly read the text, on the left it says, "Armed people fly their colors," and on the right it reads, "Disarmed, victims wear them." Apparently, the anti-gun crowd finds the graphic offensive. In fact, our fellow landsman, Illinois state senator Ira Silverstein had this to say: “It offended not only me but a lot of Jewish individuals and non-Jewish individuals who know the history of the Holocaust. [This group] should think before they print these things.”

Rabbi Dovid Bendory has written a letter to Mr. Silverstein, wherein he criticizes Silverstein's viewpoint (link at http://jpfo.org/rabbi/rabbi-silverstein-letter.htm). I strongly urge you to read Rabbi Bendory's letter to Silverstein, which also gives a little more of the background, and links to the newspaper article that kicked things off.

I strongly agree with Rabbi Bendory. Like Bendory, I am disappointed and ashamed that a fellow Jew like Silverstein learned nothing from the history and events that lead to the Holocaust. Note that Silverstein's quote says it offended "individuals who know the history of the Holocaust," not that Silverstein actually confirmed that any Holocaust survivors are actually offended by it. To borrow from Reagan, "the trouble with our gun-fearing Jewish friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so."

If you would like to write to Silverstein and express your views, his email address seems to be silverstein@senatedem.state.il.us It is important that we take a stand.