SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Feb. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

The ISRA is commending political cartoonist Joe Fournier for his courage in publishing a cartoon that plainly reveals the true sentiments of so-called "gun safety advocates."  The nationally syndicated cartoon, which appeared Sunday in the "Chicago Tribune," depicts Vice President Joe Biden gleefully assassinating NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre with a shotgun.

"Lawful firearm owners have known for a long time that the gun control movement wants us gone – by any means necessary," said ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson.  "A few years ago, renegade Chicago priest Mike Pfleger openly called for the 'snuffing' of lawful firearm dealers and elected officials who oppose gun control.  More recently, we heard Chicago Police Superintendent McCarthy say he would train and instruct his officers to shoot people holding concealed carry permits.  Now we have a quarter-page cartoon in a major market newspaper where the Vice President of the United States appears to give the green light to murdering supporters of our 2^nd Amendment.  I hate to think of where this will all end."

"But, in any case," continued Pearson, "I'd like to commend cartoonist Fournier for his Rushdie-like courage in bringing this all to a head.  The gun controllers no longer need to hide behind their hallmark platitudes about protecting the children and all that is good.  The gun controllers may now muster and get behind Joe Biden in executing the final solution to the gun problem.  Or so they may think…"

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership.  For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

WEB SITE: http://www.isra.org

SOURCE Illinois State Rifle Association