Who the heck is this Rabbi, especially if he doesn't know that.
"History has shown few things as clearly as the positive aspects of Jews being armed, trained in the use of arms and having a willingness to use arms in their own defense."
__________________________________
I couldn't agree more with you about Jews and arms - or any other long-oppressed minority, for that matter. Having weapons and the willingness and ability to use them makes any person or group far less likely to be a victim of a crime. I cringe whenever I hear of a rabbi making a statement like that, because so learned a person should know damned well that Jewish law makes it an obligation to defend one's life (how can you do good deeds if you're dead? How can you have any continuity from one generation to the next if you die and either don't have kids, or the kids die or aren't educated because you're not there to attend to it?).
FYI, I read an op-ed piece by this guy. He says he's Orthodox (which usually means more politically conservative), and also that he did NOT vote for Obama. http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0410/wholberg_obama.php3 He claims to be a Jacksonian Democrat (i.e. hard-line on foreign policy, but not much else).
However, that doesn't speak to his stance on guns. Note that from an Orthodox point of view, hunting for food is prohibited unless you are starving - because the method of killing the animal (by trapping, or shooting, whether by arrow, bullet or shot) is not kosher. There is a strictly-followed method of selecting an animal for slaughter (it must be disease free) and it must be killed by having its throat sliced at the carotid artery with a very sharp knife with no nicks in its blade (all this to reduce the animal's suffering). Therefore, Jews traditionally did not hunt, strongly moving Jews as a group away from ownership and use of weapons. Further distancing Jews from weapons has been a centuries'-long prohibition on Jews being armed by the Moslems and by most European nations. Of course, to me the latter reason makes it all the more imperative for Jews to be armed, so as to take advantage of the ability to practice this most basic of rights, and to reduce the persecution and ridicule that usually accompany weakness. Israel has also been a shining example - its enemies are legion, and not at all hesitant about attacking at weak points - but they generally don't f^*# head-on with the IDF because Israel has and will protect itself. It has grudging respect from most Arabs for this, even as their burning hatred of Israel's very existence never dies. This is little different for a nation than for individuals - weak people are victimized and ridiculed (pre-victimization?) far more than those who are strong.
Anyhow, I attend an Orthodox synogogue and not only do I carry whenever there, so do several others (that I know of - there are probably more) including the Rabbi. I can't speak to other issues, but regarding guns this guy Wohlberg has his head firmly emplaced somewhere that the Big Guy never intended for it to be.
Hunting for sport is the problem, not being armed to protect yourself.
My understanding is that it’s a cruelty to animals thing.