Police superintendent Garry McCarthy has something to say about guns and gun laws. It’s just not clear what exactly that is.
Several news outlets reported yesterday that McCarthy told the congregation at St. Sabina church that federal laws that allow guns to proliferate in cities like Chicago are an example of “government-sponsored racism” in the vein of slavery, segregation, black codes, and jim crow. “Everybody’s afraid of race,” he said. “I’m not afraid of race.”
McCarthy’s statement was actually part of a bit of preaching he did during an appearance at Father Michael Pfleger’s church a few weeks ago. The clip has been circulating ever since among alarmed conservatives and gun-rights activists. You can see it on YouTube, though it has been taken down from St. Sabina’s website.
If you listen to the whole segment, the superintendent comes across as less of a gun-control crusader than a skilled politician who knows how to rile up his audience without saying anything concrete.