From a "Special Alert" from Illinois State Rifle Association...
Like all people of good conscience, gun owners were appalled at that the crimes that took place in Newtown.
Nevertheless, gun owners really don’t put much credence in what the Newtown parents have to say.
After all, having a child murdered doesn’t automatically make one an expert in violent crime or an expert in the U.S. Constitution or an expert in the shooting sports. Likewise, being the parent of a murdered child does not give one the right to demand that lawful gun owners give up their constitutional rights just to bring closure to that parent’s grief. No, we gun owners will not be supporting any proposals to ban our guns, limit our magazines, tax our rights, snoop deeply into our backgrounds, or register us like sex offenders. As we have said many times before, we will not accept responsibility for what happened in Newtown because it is not our responsibility to accept. Obama, Biden and the rest of the gun-grabbing crew needs to understand well that our resolve is set in stone. (emphasis added)
So the ISRA thinks that being the victim of a school shooting doesn't make you an expert on violent crime and the constitution, but somehow the gun owners think that they are qualified in those areas simply because they have a gun fetish?
Follow me below the fold to see what the ISRA's version of an "apology" looks like.
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. (emphasis added)
So there you have it. They regret that people were offended, and they also feel that school shootings are "equally" as bad as advocating for gun control.