Federally, he's hoping for an assault weapons ban and closure of the "gun show loophole" that lets gun buyers elude background checks.

And this week, Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush introduces "Blair's Bill" on Capitol Hill--named after Chicago's Blair Holt--which would create a national registry of gun sales and ownership and require licensing of all individuals who own guns.  

But Pfleger got few Valentines for his trouble. In fact he got swift boated.

The Illinois State Rifle Association issued a press release trumpeting, "Chicago Priest Calls for Murder of Gun Shop Owner" (murder as in "snuff") and launched a media event. 

Gun shop owner John Riggio hired an attorney who called Pfleger's statements "alarming" and "slanderous" and threatened legal action.

And gun lovers deluged the archdiocese with complaints and expressions of outrage.

(Don't underestimate gun lover rage says Philip Andrew who survived the 1988 Laurie Dann shootings in suburban Chicago to become an antigun activist. He has received Nazi post cards, bullets with his name on them and been told by the husband of a state Senate candidate that Laurie Dann should have had better aim. )

"I am a student of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and have always and will always preach non-violence," writes Pfleger--who claims ignorance of the street meaning of "snuff"--on the St. Sabina web site.

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