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SEIFFE:  Flakey Terrorism

Friday June 1, 2007

By Ralf Seiffe

Father Michael Pfleger’s exhortation to “snuff” a gun shop owner convicts him as a terrorist and a community failure. Pfleger’s complaint is that there is too much violence in his community and that guns are the reason why.  That is absurd; there is too much violence in his community because there are too many violent people. With his own words, Pfleger has joined that category.  Beyond that, his vilification of the gun shop owners show best evidence that Pfleger is just another failed social improver looking for a new target in order to preserve his own relevance. 

My definition of a terrorist is anyone who uses--or advocates--violence, in the presence of media, to accomplish political goals.  Terrorists use violence to leverage their limited capabilities by creating the impression that anyone can be a victim of their violence.  By showing up at the gun store and advocating the crowd “snuff” the owner, the priest is guilty of advocating violence.  The event was staged, no doubt, to generate publicity so that meets my qualifications for the media component.  Advocating the “snuffing” of legislators who will not kowtow to the priest’s anti-Constitutional, legislative agenda is certainly a political goal and fulfills the last qualification to meet my definition of a terrorist act. 

In addition, Pfleger recommends the “snuff” of politicians who do not agree with his twisted view of public policy.  This is a serious matter, essentially the same thing as an Islamic cleric issuing a fatwah justifying the political murder of those same legislators because they will not repeal the First Amendment’s religious guarantee.  Either must certainly be a crime. 

One wonders if Homeland Security or the Chicago Police will see it that way. 

More important, however, is how this stunt proves Father Pfleger a failure as a community leader.  Remington may make shotguns but parents and institutions make people.  Pfleger leads one of the biggest institutions in his community; it should be his job to offer an alternative to violence to those children who live there and change their hearts.  Apparently, that hasn’t happened. 

Pfleger’s ministry must be a bust because he continues to appear every few years to skewer a new demon that victimizes his community. Were he successful in his mission, it would follow that he’d be completely consumed improving his community because that yielded the best outcomes.  Instead, Pfleger's campaigned against rum, cigarettes and now guns indicating that the priest must prefer concentrating on objects rather than building souls who can resist these temptations.  Pfleger is clever too; the gun campaign misdirects those who might question his effectiveness in his parish. 

The deaths of the 23 children who attended Chicago Public Schools are tragic.  I agree with Pfleger that it must stop.  But, Pfleger’s brand of terrorism, aggravated by the thoroughly discredited social prescriptions he stands for, are hardly the example his community needs.  It will do nothing but demonstrate that violence is acceptable to the very children he claims to represent and, in the long run, lead to more dead kids. 

© 2007 Ralf Seiffe

Ralf Seiffe advises business start-ups and product launches from Chicago, Illinois and is a political analyst and columnist for the Illinois Leader and Illinois Review.

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