We need more Black gun owners in the NRA

[MartyG]

My son just got back from the NRA convention in Phoenix. I asked him how many of the 6000 people at the banquet were black? He said, "two speakers, plus about 20 in the audience."
As I think about this, let us not forget the RKBA is a CIVIL right! Where is the NAACP or the ACLU on this?
First my theory, then my suggestion. There were no gun control laws until after the slaves were freed after the Civil War. Early gun control laws were designed to keep the freed slaves from owning firearms. Of course, over time, this approach was considered flawed, so instead, the laws became restrictive for all. ESPECIALLY in the large cities, like Chicago, LA, NYC, or just about any area with a large inner-city population.
While the Democratic Party leans more towards gun control, they assume that since Black people vote Democratic that they somehow concur with that position. That's not why Blacks vote Democratic, they vote that way for social reasons, for benefit programs, or simply because they are told to, by their Aldermen, their preachers, or their contemporaries.
As a result, Black America has gone through various phases of gun laws, all prohibiting them from owning guns. They simply don't know what they are missing! Sure there are rural blacks, and those raised outside the city. But the numbers aren't great. Blacks still have some angst regarding 200 years of slavery, but they haven't realized they've been denied the 2A for 300 years!
I'll bet if they thought about this, the law-abiding, God-fearing members of the minority communities would demand their gun rights. Then perhaps, the gun-toting villians in their communities wouldn't be so prolific.
This board demands suggestions; here's mine. Talk to a black guy or gal at work about gun rights. Ask them where they sit on the issue. Remind them that as a good person, they have a right, one they've never been fully granted.
We're just now making some headway with women. I think we should open our sights, and include Black America into our way of thinking. Doing so would provide a large mandate to every politician that gun control is not going to be opposed only by the rural white guys, but of ALL of law-abiding America.

 

[General Geoff]

I thought this was about needing more owners of ARs and other plastic/tacticool firearms...

 

[tasco 74]

i thought so too general

but the man is right.... black gun owners and any black americans who wish to keep rights intact should join the N R A..............

 

[JohnKSa]

In the last few years I've heard more racist BS in gun shops than anywhere else. It's no wonder that they tend to steer clear of us.

I'm NOT saying all gun owners are racist, nor even that most are. Just making an observation on what I've seen & heard in gun shops.

I spoke with a black coworker some years ago about getting into shooting and he looked at me like I was an idiot and then explained slowly and using small words why it obviously wasn't smart for a young black man who was trying to build a professional career to do something like that. Not being in his shoes, I couldn't argue with him since my situation is very different.

 

[MartyG]

JohnKSa, your comments about what you've heard and seen are what I'm talking about. There is a "good ole boy" mentality, and blacks have some very understandable apprehensions. But it seems to me they can, with our support, overcome this last obstacle to their American freedom. If they just realized how they've been oppressed in this regard, maybe they would get involved. Maybe their whole community would be less crime-ridden.
2RCO, that was a great link; I've saved it as a favorite. Thanks.

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

Well... I'm black and white. But, I was raised in a very white place, by very white people. Those rural white males who'd be mad at gun control.... they're my friends.

That being said, I understand the issue. In Missouri, we used to have to get a handgun permit. It originated as a Jim Crow law, and when it was taken away as a requirement, most, if not all the black members of our state legislature voted to keep it on the books.

Problem is this, and I won't sugarcoat it. Black people were slaves, prohibited from legally owning guns, then in "freedom" really until the 1960s, they were second class citizens either prohibited from gun ownership, or discouraged from it. Since then, a large number of the black population has lived with some form of government assistance, and if they didn't, a family member did. Basically, black people have come to love their chains now, to a large degree. And they don't want to throw them off.

Guns (in that largely rural white man construct) symbolize freedom, individuality, liberty, and an ethos of superiority of yourself over the government.

To many black people guns symbolize crime, violence, gangs, and drugs. If you try to explain how much of the nation's white population has seen them, they see guns as a symbol of white oppression, and tyranny. And white superiority.

They want nothing to do with that heritage. And now that there is no frontier, and no enemy to fight, it's hard to have blacks want to join the existing gun culture, or form their own.

It's a worthy cause, and I've thought much about how to get blacks to join our numbers but it's tough. You have to have more black people who don't depend on the government. You have to have less old racist white guys, and you have to have less politicians, pastors, etc. blaming the ills of the black community on guns instead of internal problems so they can stay popular.

'Cause, as it stands, black gun owners are gonna be black rednecks (they are out there, moreso than you'd think), and black kids who grew up in the suburbs and don't have much of a connection to other black people.

 

[mgregg85]

If you are trying to recruit some you could always mention that the late Charlton Heston marched for civil rights and accompanied Martin Luther King Jr in a few of his speeches.

 

[MartyG]

If you are trying to recruit some you could always mention that the late Charlton Heston marched for civil rights and accompanied Martin Luther King Jr in a few of his speeches.

Great point! I once knew that, but had forgotten it. Thanks.

 

[kyo]

4 million NRA members 70 million gun owners. Its not just blacks that need to join. everyone else does too. I convinced my dad to get his carry permit, and I have talked to friends about gun ownership. The best way is to be comfortable talking about it. Invite friends to go shooting, and just keep talking about it in a fun way. I talked to a friend who happens to be black online tonight. I brought up shooting, and the guy is in his mid 20's and has never shot a gun before
I was like 12-15 when I shot my first time? Idk, I can understand about the black thing though. I am jewish and I feel that all jews should be armed, among the rest of the people. I know that my house would not have been targeted as much or maybe even at all if people knew the family was armed. The worst memory I have is a bomb in the mailbox. How horrid is that when you are a kid?

 

[bullseye308]

I don't get out much and I don't have many friends(both by choice). Both of my black friends have been successfully brought over to our side in the last year. One of them was easy, he just needed to be told he wanted to do it and then showed how. The other guy kicked and screamed the whole time till he pulled the trigger on a 357 for the first time. You couldn't get a stick and knock the grin off his face.

Both are now legal gun owners and interested in learning how to reload to be able to shoot more often. Out of the 8 people that I have anything to do with, only one is still resisting the pull, and she works 2 jobs and just had a baby. I'll get her eventually though.

Focus not only on the black community, but all non-white groups. So long as they are legal US citizens, we need them, and they need to exercise their rights. Just think, you may convert someone and we get another vote, but what if they at some point use that firearm to save a life because they had it and knew how to use it? How cool is that. We all win twice.

 

[cavman]

Mrreynolds is a member here, and a strong advocate of the NRA and 2nd Amendment. Here is his site. I don't see anything that specifically that deals with increasing the numbers of a particular race or group per se with the NRA, but maybe IM him and invite him to this discussion to see his input on this subject.

http://smallarmz.info/

 

[RDak]

I grew up in Detroit and worked in Detroit for 32 years before I retired.

Believe me, MANY African Americans own firearms in Detroit.

I would say 99.9999999 percent of the African Americans I've known over the years own firearms.

Many times they would look at me like "Duh, well yes I own a firearm, don't you??!!".

So, I don't know why people think many African Americans don't own firearms.

They don't join the NRA because they view it as an extension of the KKK in my experience. I've tried many times to convince them otherwise to no avail. We just have to keep trying.

Edit: Of course Detroit ain't DC or Chicago, but I'd bet many residents of cities like that still own firearms. They are just owned "under the table" IMHO.

Oh, and like another member stated, there are sure ALOT of white gun owners who don't belong to the NRA or other similar pro-gun organizations.

 

[KBintheSLC]

I have never understood why African-Americans are not more pro-gun. That goes for any minority... just because you own a gun does not make you a bad person, or one who promotes violence.

Unless you really enjoy having the crack dealers run your neighborhood.



...

 

[Jim K]

One secret the Democrats try to keep is that blacks are a lot more conservative than the "liberal" Democrats want them to be. Right now there is a lot of trouble brewing in D.C. over a council action just to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states (not to allow performance in D.C.) and black ministers are raising cain.

Unfortunately, many blacks associate guns, not with freedom and self defense, but with the KKK and inner city gangs. The white liberal establishment, which fondly believes it controls blacks, continues to promote that viewpoint and racist whites certainly help them. Approached the right way, I think that could turn around.

Jim

 

[david_the_greek]

up here in Detroit I always wondered why there were never (in my short lived life) inner city programs to educate youth and the community about firearms/get people involved in shooting sports. I understand that in any suburban/urban (heck even rural) environment there are hurdles and roadblocks, but it seems like a great way to teach kids how to not accidentally shoot one another. There is a small gun shop not far from me, in a pretty rough part of the city that is owned by a VERY pro 2A, anti establishment owner. I definitely like him a lot more after reading an article in which he emphasized the importance of minorities and the weak owning firearms, since I feel very much the same way.

 

[2000Yards]

Many blacks view the NRA as being closely aligned with the Klu Klux Klan because the NRA's lobbying body is focused around a single issue (guns) and therefore supports politicians and groups that are supportive of RKBA and/or hunting, sport shooting, etc. Many politicians that the NRA supports/supported, while strong gun advocates, are also rampamtly, overty and viciously racist. They make no pretense or try to hide under white sheets. This is why it is unlikely that many blacks will support the NRA, especially blacks from the east or south. Out west the association is not as strong, but it's still there. Unfortunate, but that's the way it is.

Most people are not single issue voters, though some are. Ardent RKBA advocates may be - I know a die hard Republican who almost always votes Democrat because her single voting issue is abortion. I would not expect blacks to support an organization that has supported and probably will continue to support people who are openly racist in their expressed views or policies (regardless of how many marches Wayne LaPierre (or Charlton Heston, as indicated by a subsequent poster) went on with MLK).

 

[MartyG]

I would not expect Black people to stop voting Democrat. But they could be more vocal when say, in the city of Chicago, the issue of gun ownership or CC comes up. It would get the attention of the cameras, and show up on TV! BTW, it wasn't LaPierre who marched with MLK, it was Charlton Heston.

 

[chemist308]

This is too true. In all the time I've been hunting, I've only ever crossed paths with one black hunter. That's disturbing once you realize that when you run the numbers they're not much of a minority.

My question is, how do you talk to someone who grew up in the projects and watched family members fall to an idiot with a gun as a child?

 

[kyo]

I talked to someone who is scared of guns because they had bad experiences with people around them that had guns. Questions make them think. What if you had kids and you needed to protect them? You don't need a gun? Or to learn how to shoot?
Get past the stereotypes and ask the real questions, what were you taught as a child about guns? What were your families views on guns?
Why am I saying this? Because different cultures treat things in different ways. In my house when I grew up, I knew nothing about them and say one maybe once until I was a teenager and shot one for the first time with friends and a cop in the woods. The cop was chaperoning off duty.
I know black females that pack heat. They aren't from the bad side of town. I know white moms that pack heat. They grew up in nice towns. I pack heat, I grew up in a mix of towns.
My point is that if you want more folks to become comfortable with guns, invite them shooting, talk about it in the open at dinners, hang outs, over drinks, whatever. Get the idea into their head. you aren't brainwashing them. Just asking them to see a different aspect. When my dad would come over and ask why I always had the gun out of the safe at home, I asked him if the gun would protect me in the safe. He asked why I wanted to carry everywhere, I told him because bad guys don't tell me when they plan to do criminal things. He told me to not shoot 45's and then learned he liked it better then 9's and 40's.
You have to ask questions and let them decide for themselves. You can start a group for gun enthusiasts. Call it a "practical shooting league" of some sort. Doesn't have to be black oriented, and I would recommend that it isn't. The reason is because if a bunch of white guys start a group its racist because its for "white" guys. If its a "black" group I feel it would be the same. Start a group, find some friends who enjoy this stuff. Teach people safety rules. Lead them because they want to be lead.

 

[bearmgc]

Those issues are for them to reconcile themselves. With the internet and many other resourses available these days, people are either self directed learners or they aren't. I never gave much thought to the color of a person's skin and whether they exercise their 2nd amendment rights. But like anything else in life, a person's attitude about anything can come from seeking the truth and searching for answers, or simply being lazy and believing in perception. Just because you think it, doesn't make it true, but there's alot of lazy, perception based adults in this world.
I believe in giving people opportunities to talk and ask questions about guns, shooting, hunting and the like. Then the rest is up to them to learn what they need to learn about becoming a responsible firearm owner. Many people are too lazy to learn and change their old attitudes.

 

[jbrown50]

The biggest problem I see is from so called freedom loving White individuals who say they're color blind but then make ridiculous assumptions that most Black people are lazy and all they want are government handouts. This hypocricy is one reason why Blacks don't like the Republican Party.

I'm a Black American (African American or whatever you want to call me) male, pro 2A, a proud NRA member and a registered Independent born and raised in anti-gun Washington DC. I haven't benefited from any free handouts from the government or anyone else in my life. I get just as much heat from anti-gun Whites as I do from anti-gun Blacks for my views, but I've enlightened/converted many formerly anti-2A individuals, White and Black, to this side.

The reason most Blacks are anti-NRA is because the NRA is perceived as a majority Republican organization. Most Blacks hate the Republican Party because it's perceived to be the party of White racists. Making ridiculous racial comments only helps to reinforce that perception.

As far as Blacks go, the NRA isn't the problem......it's the Republican Party.

 

[donato]

jbrown,

You have been anointed in the sheep dip by your leadership for years. You also seem to have a stereotypical bias against whites and the R party. The other party has been screwing you for years and you don't even realize it - they've been using you as political fodder for a long time.

And be careful before you stereotype me as a bad, southern, NRA, R party member.

I come from two worlds and have gained a rather unique insight as to the differences of those two places.

 

[ACORN]

Funny part is that the Democratic party was the party of segregation. The current conscience of the Senate, Robert Byrd (D)was a recruiter for the KKK. I've read that Martin Luther King was a Republican.
Have another glass of Kool-Aid.

 

[ACORN]

An enlightening short read on black Republicans in the not so recent past.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=16500

 

[jbrown50]

jbrown,

You have been anointed in the sheep dip by your leadership for years. You also seem to have a stereotypical bias against whites and the R party. The other party has been screwing you for years and you don't even realize it - they've been using you as political fodder for a long time.

And be careful before you stereotype me as a bad, southern, NRA, R party member.

I come from two worlds and have gained a rather unique insight as to the differences of those two places.

No....I'm not against all White Republicans, just against the ones like you who hide your hatred behind the Republican Party, the South and the NRA. You're no better than the Jesse Jacksons or Michael Moores or any of the other extremists in the "other party". You just think you are. In fact, they point to people like you in order to justify their existence.