Could New Black Gun Owners Be The Catalyst?
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| Only A Handful Of Anti-Gun Rights States Remain |
While every state has somewhat different gun laws, the best indicator of a pro-gun rights state is the state's right to carry laws. For the purposes of this document the remaining anti-gun rights states are California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Hawaii and the District of Columbia. Of these states, all except Hawaii, and perhaps Connecticut are heavily urban with significant black populations.
Historically, urban black populations have viewed firearms ownership quite negatively. They have traditionally viewed both legal and illegal firearms ownership as bad.
What will have to happen for these states to "flip"?
Before these states can become pro-gun rights, there will have to be a significant increase in the number of gun owners. The old, rural, white guys are already gun owners. So are many in the suburbs. Before California and New York can be flipped many more urban folks are going to have to at least want to become gun owners. If gun ownership increases significantly in the black community, chances are we will see gun ownership increase in other communities too.
What is the history of gun control and the Black Community?
2) The Civil Rights Movement
Early in the Civil Rights Movement, Rev/Dr Martin Luther King applied for a permit to carry a firearm. He certainly had need of one, and had he been white, it most likely would have been granted. However, since he was black, MLK was denied the right to protect himself. Even though he lacked a carry permit, visitors to his home reported that his home was " an arsenal".
Dr King supported the human right of self defense: “Violence exercised merely in self-defense, all societies, from the most primitive to the most cultured and civilized, accept as moral and legal. The principle of self-defense, even involving weapons and bloodshed, has never been condemned, even by Gandhi.”(A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, p. 32.)
One of the greatest problems faced by the Civil Rights Movement was maintaining the security of their leaders. The KKK wanted to kill them - and indeed succeeded in doing so
on occasion. The police certainly would not keep them safe. If they were not infiltrated by the Klan, they were fearful of it. Federal law enforcement could investigate civil rights violations - but they could not protect the leaders.
So, who was left to protect them? Answer: Citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. Formed by Black WW2 veterans, Deacons for Defense and Justice provided armed security for many leaders of the Civil Rights movement, including Dr. King. (They were not providing security when he was murdered.) Had this armed security not been in place to deter the Klan, many more leaders would have been killed - and it is possible that the movement could have collapsed.
3) Recent history
Beginning in the 1970s, cities and states began working to disarm poor, mostly black, inner city residents. In order to accomplish this, politicians looked back to the Jim Crow laws. They began to use the tried and true method of pricing poor minorities out of the marketplace.
In New York City, excessive fees were used. Today, if you want to own a handgun the official fees are over $300.00 per year. Bribes were (and likely still are) also a fact of life, with $500.00 being customary for the initial application. The process is long, intrusive and difficult.
In other states, including California, a somewhat different approach was taken. Politicians began agitating against inexpensive handguns - labeling them as dangerous to the users, calling them "Saturday Night Specials". They succeeded is getting a law passed that required safety testing of every handgun sold in the state. Law enforcement was exempted - which certainly proves that this had nothing to do with safety. These anti-gun rights zealots were profoundly disappointed when some of the inexpensive handguns actually passed their tests. They then added more tests for buyers, and even more requirements. Just one example is the requirement that your residence location be established with two independent proof documents. Most white suburban citizens will have no trouble with this. However a poor person may not have utilities or a lease in their name. They may not own a vehicle. So even if they have a driver's license or state issued ID, that's not enough. They have to have something else and many poor minorities don't have anything else, and are thus banned from purchasing firearms. How ironic that the same people who argue that requiring a single form of ID to vote is unconstitutional, have no trouble at all requiring two documents to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights.
However, that's not the only way that California "safe handgun" law is used to disarm poor, inner city minorities. There a provision that no one in favor of the law talked about when it was passed: A virtual ban on the sale of used handguns.
Here's how it works: Only manufacturers of importers can pay the renewal fees required to keep a handgun on the "safe handgun" list. So, as soon as that model is no longer in production, the manufacturer stops paying the renewal fee and the handgun somehow becomes "unsafe". Never mind that it passed the test. Never mind that the gun has not changed. Since it is not on the list, dealers can no longer sell it. So, for instance, police surplus revolvers cannot be sold by dealers in California. In other states, a single mom can purchase a double action revolver for about $100.00-150.00, but in California the only way to do so is from a private seller (with state and federal background checks and all the fees). How many black people living in the inner city would own cars if they could only buy new ones?
These are just a few of the ways that states run by people that claim to oppose racism have worked to prevent minorities, including and especially black people, from owning firearms.
What will have to happen for these states to "flip"?
Before these states can become pro-gun rights, there will have to be a significant increase in the number of gun owners. The old, rural, white guys are already gun owners. So are many in the suburbs. Before California and New York can be flipped many more urban folks are going to have to at least want to become gun owners. If gun ownership increases significantly in the black community, chances are we will see gun ownership increase in other communities too.
What is the history of gun control and the Black Community?
The dirty little secret about gun control is how much of it has been aimed at disarming poor black people. Pre-Civil War, all or nearly all Southern states had laws banning the possession of firearms by free blacks.
This video details the history of
racism and gun control
racism and gun control
1) Post Reconstruction
The first "modern" gun control measures were passed as part of the infamous "Jim Crow laws". Since they were unable to specifically ban black people from owning handguns, they passed laws banning all but pistols used by the military. This effectively priced blacks out of the market - a tactic that has been used quite regularly ever since. In some Southern states, the permission of the county sheriff was required in order to purchase a handgun. In practice, black people were never given that permission. Possession of long guns, especially shotguns, was tolerated in the rural South since so many black people were farmers who needed them for pest control and other uses.
The first "modern" gun control measures were passed as part of the infamous "Jim Crow laws". Since they were unable to specifically ban black people from owning handguns, they passed laws banning all but pistols used by the military. This effectively priced blacks out of the market - a tactic that has been used quite regularly ever since. In some Southern states, the permission of the county sheriff was required in order to purchase a handgun. In practice, black people were never given that permission. Possession of long guns, especially shotguns, was tolerated in the rural South since so many black people were farmers who needed them for pest control and other uses.
Early in the Civil Rights Movement, Rev/Dr Martin Luther King applied for a permit to carry a firearm. He certainly had need of one, and had he been white, it most likely would have been granted. However, since he was black, MLK was denied the right to protect himself. Even though he lacked a carry permit, visitors to his home reported that his home was " an arsenal".
Dr King supported the human right of self defense: “Violence exercised merely in self-defense, all societies, from the most primitive to the most cultured and civilized, accept as moral and legal. The principle of self-defense, even involving weapons and bloodshed, has never been condemned, even by Gandhi.”(A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, p. 32.)
One of the greatest problems faced by the Civil Rights Movement was maintaining the security of their leaders. The KKK wanted to kill them - and indeed succeeded in doing so
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| A Contemporary Magazine Article About Deacons For Defense |
So, who was left to protect them? Answer: Citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. Formed by Black WW2 veterans, Deacons for Defense and Justice provided armed security for many leaders of the Civil Rights movement, including Dr. King. (They were not providing security when he was murdered.) Had this armed security not been in place to deter the Klan, many more leaders would have been killed - and it is possible that the movement could have collapsed.
3) Recent history
Beginning in the 1970s, cities and states began working to disarm poor, mostly black, inner city residents. In order to accomplish this, politicians looked back to the Jim Crow laws. They began to use the tried and true method of pricing poor minorities out of the marketplace.
In New York City, excessive fees were used. Today, if you want to own a handgun the official fees are over $300.00 per year. Bribes were (and likely still are) also a fact of life, with $500.00 being customary for the initial application. The process is long, intrusive and difficult.
In other states, including California, a somewhat different approach was taken. Politicians began agitating against inexpensive handguns - labeling them as dangerous to the users, calling them "Saturday Night Specials". They succeeded is getting a law passed that required safety testing of every handgun sold in the state. Law enforcement was exempted - which certainly proves that this had nothing to do with safety. These anti-gun rights zealots were profoundly disappointed when some of the inexpensive handguns actually passed their tests. They then added more tests for buyers, and even more requirements. Just one example is the requirement that your residence location be established with two independent proof documents. Most white suburban citizens will have no trouble with this. However a poor person may not have utilities or a lease in their name. They may not own a vehicle. So even if they have a driver's license or state issued ID, that's not enough. They have to have something else and many poor minorities don't have anything else, and are thus banned from purchasing firearms. How ironic that the same people who argue that requiring a single form of ID to vote is unconstitutional, have no trouble at all requiring two documents to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights.
However, that's not the only way that California "safe handgun" law is used to disarm poor, inner city minorities. There a provision that no one in favor of the law talked about when it was passed: A virtual ban on the sale of used handguns.
Here's how it works: Only manufacturers of importers can pay the renewal fees required to keep a handgun on the "safe handgun" list. So, as soon as that model is no longer in production, the manufacturer stops paying the renewal fee and the handgun somehow becomes "unsafe". Never mind that it passed the test. Never mind that the gun has not changed. Since it is not on the list, dealers can no longer sell it. So, for instance, police surplus revolvers cannot be sold by dealers in California. In other states, a single mom can purchase a double action revolver for about $100.00-150.00, but in California the only way to do so is from a private seller (with state and federal background checks and all the fees). How many black people living in the inner city would own cars if they could only buy new ones?
These are just a few of the ways that states run by people that claim to oppose racism have worked to prevent minorities, including and especially black people, from owning firearms.
What is happening today?
With the past few years, attitudes towards firearms have begun to change in the black community. In my opinion, there are many reasons for this. Black veterans who learned to shoot in the military and wish to shoot recreationally. An increasing awareness that self-defense is legal and that law abiding people can obtain carry permits. The increasing distance between the police and the community, resulting in law abiding members of the community realizing that the police frequently cannot or will not protect them.
The Detroit Revolution
There are some other reasons that may be having an even greater effect - perhaps the greatest has been the complete turn around by some black law enforcement officials. The most prominent is Detroit Police Chief James Craig. Chief Craig started out in the LAPD - where he bought the gun control message hook, line and sinker. He rose through the ranks and eventually took a job as a police chief in Maine.
There he found a different world - and different laws and outlooks on gun and citizen concealed carry. On his first day in office, he found a bunch of CCW permit applications on his desk. He asked what the did with them, and was told that they had passed their background checks, so he should just sign them. He began to talk to his officers - and discovered that most supported citizen carry. He also saw a few cases of successful self-defense. By the time he left Maine for the top cop job in Detroit, his opinion of privately owned guns and citizen carry had completely reversed.
Arriving in Detroit, he found a grossly understaffed department and very high rates of violent crime. More cops was not an option. He knew that Detroit's politicians were all anti-gun rights - but that did not stop him from doing what he thought best for the city. In December, 2013, he issued a literal call to arms. He told the law abiding citizens the truth, "We can't protect you. Arm yourselves. Get training. Protect your homes. Get carry permits."
What happened? Well, the answer to this question is in these videos:
Black Guns Matter
There is no question that inner city and urban black people are becoming gun owners at an increased rate. If this trend continues, it will eventually begin to affect the political opinions in these Democratic strongholds. Most likely, some Democrats will begin to take a more pro-gun rights stance. This is by no means unprecedented. There have been pro-gun rights Democrats in the past, even the recent past. Alternatively, if Sec./Dr. Ben Carson does a good job, Republicans could make gains in the Black Community.
What is the NRA doing to reach out to the Black Community?
First, it is a common misconception that the NRA is only interested in supporting Republicans. In reality, the NRA is a single issue organization. In fact, the NRA quite famously endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders when he first ran for the House. Sen. Harry Reid also had a fairly high NRA rating for many years. NRA ratings are objective in nature and completely independent of parties. The only issue the NRA rates on is gun rights, PERIOD.
With this in mind, it makes a lot of sense for the NRA to make serious efforts to reach out to the Black Community. Since the NRA doesn't miss much, that's exactly what they have done.
Meet the person the NRA chose to spearhead their outreach to Millennials, Colion Noir:
After he was pardoned, it took another 6 months before his gun rights were restored. Meanwhile, lots of job offers came in from police departments. I could not find anything online in regards to his current employment, but I certainly hope he was able to achieve his dream.
Conclusion: There is a very real change taking place in the Black Community's attitude towards the lawful ownership of firearms. It was not started by the NRA, but the NRA certainly supports it. The racist roots of gun control, as well as it's current racist aspects are becoming better known every day. If these trends continue, some of the remaining anti-gun rights states could flip to pro-gun rights in the future.
Two more videos of the same news conference by Black leaders who oppose gun control. The first is a short version, the second is the full, 1 hour and 15 minute news conference.
With the past few years, attitudes towards firearms have begun to change in the black community. In my opinion, there are many reasons for this. Black veterans who learned to shoot in the military and wish to shoot recreationally. An increasing awareness that self-defense is legal and that law abiding people can obtain carry permits. The increasing distance between the police and the community, resulting in law abiding members of the community realizing that the police frequently cannot or will not protect them.
The Detroit Revolution
There are some other reasons that may be having an even greater effect - perhaps the greatest has been the complete turn around by some black law enforcement officials. The most prominent is Detroit Police Chief James Craig. Chief Craig started out in the LAPD - where he bought the gun control message hook, line and sinker. He rose through the ranks and eventually took a job as a police chief in Maine.
There he found a different world - and different laws and outlooks on gun and citizen concealed carry. On his first day in office, he found a bunch of CCW permit applications on his desk. He asked what the did with them, and was told that they had passed their background checks, so he should just sign them. He began to talk to his officers - and discovered that most supported citizen carry. He also saw a few cases of successful self-defense. By the time he left Maine for the top cop job in Detroit, his opinion of privately owned guns and citizen carry had completely reversed.
Arriving in Detroit, he found a grossly understaffed department and very high rates of violent crime. More cops was not an option. He knew that Detroit's politicians were all anti-gun rights - but that did not stop him from doing what he thought best for the city. In December, 2013, he issued a literal call to arms. He told the law abiding citizens the truth, "We can't protect you. Arm yourselves. Get training. Protect your homes. Get carry permits."
What happened? Well, the answer to this question is in these videos:
Chief Craig Explains Why He Changed His
Mind About Guns and Citizen Carry
Chief Craig Explains His Call To Arms
In January 2014
March 2014 - Chief Craig Comments On
Crajacker Shot And Killed By Female Victim
In January 2014
March 2014 - Chief Craig Comments On
Crajacker Shot And Killed By Female Victim
Feb 18, 2014 - Mom Fights Back
Against Home Invaders With Assault Rifle - Protects Kids
June 22, 2015 - Detroit Coney Island shooting:
Pete’s Grill employee fatally shoots armed robber
National African American Gun AssociationPete’s Grill employee fatally shoots armed robber
Additional Incidents in Detroit (by no means all inclusive):
February 22, 2014 - Right-to-Carry permit holder fells robber
March 25, 2014 - Armed customer halts syringe-wielding attacker
May 4, 2014 - While on Phone With 911, 50 Yr Old Woman With a Carry Permit Shoots Home Invader in Detroit
May 6, 2014 - Detroit grandmother defends herself from armed attackers
October 1, 2014 - Detroit Father of Four Shoots and Kills Intruder Who Was Choking His Dog
June 03, 2015 - Detroit woman shoots at would-be carjackers - Police call it a self-defense shooting
September 22, 2015 - Bank robber foiled by Right-to-Carry permit holder
October 19, 2015 - Detroit pastor shoots, kills man during church service - Man entered church wielding brick, threatening congregation, police say
May 23, 2016 - Homeowner on Detroit's west side shoots intruder
Did new Black gun owners help "flip" Michigan in last Fall's Election? Absolutely - the only question is, "By how much?"
These Trends Are Not Limited To Detroit
Especially since the last election, there has been an increase in the number of firearms purchased by black people - or, alternatively the mainstream media is now noticing something that has been going on for some time. Consider the following links:
Black Guns Matter
There is no question that inner city and urban black people are becoming gun owners at an increased rate. If this trend continues, it will eventually begin to affect the political opinions in these Democratic strongholds. Most likely, some Democrats will begin to take a more pro-gun rights stance. This is by no means unprecedented. There have been pro-gun rights Democrats in the past, even the recent past. Alternatively, if Sec./Dr. Ben Carson does a good job, Republicans could make gains in the Black Community.
What is the NRA doing to reach out to the Black Community?
First, it is a common misconception that the NRA is only interested in supporting Republicans. In reality, the NRA is a single issue organization. In fact, the NRA quite famously endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders when he first ran for the House. Sen. Harry Reid also had a fairly high NRA rating for many years. NRA ratings are objective in nature and completely independent of parties. The only issue the NRA rates on is gun rights, PERIOD.
With this in mind, it makes a lot of sense for the NRA to make serious efforts to reach out to the Black Community. Since the NRA doesn't miss much, that's exactly what they have done.
Meet the person the NRA chose to spearhead their outreach to Millennials, Colion Noir:
The NRA found him on YouTube where he had a very popular channel. That was 3 years ago, and now he is a major NRA media figure. Of course, most of the mainstream media ignored this - however the LA Times actually covered Colion Noir's popularity. In reality Noir is much, much more than just someone the NRA hired to reach out to the black community - he is popular with just about everyone - but especially millennials. However, another incident served to prove to many in the Black community that the NRA cared about them.
A single mother of two young children, Shaneen Allen had already been robbed before she decided to buy a firearm to protect herself and her family. She obtained a Pennsylvania license to carry. Unfortunately, she accidentally strayed across the border into New Jersey - and was pulled over. Just as she was taught in her concealed carry class, she handed the officer her Pennsylvania carry license and informed him that she had her firearm in her purse. Her honesty earned her a felony arrest. The penalty for crossing the line into New Jersey? Three and one half years in prison.
Who do you think rallied to her aid? Well, it wasn't the NAACP, or Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton. They simply ignored her plight as she languished in jail awaiting trial. Then the NRA found out about her case, and they - along with the rest of the gun rights community - sprang into action.
As the NRA and other gun rights groups spread the word, several different funds to aid her were set up and contributions poured in from around the nation. In one month, just one of these efforts raised $61,000.00 to assist her. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was buried in requests from all over the nation - asking him to do the right thing and pardon her.
Sadly, the case of Shaneen Allen was not isolated. It was not long until a young Black man who aspired to be a police officer, and was currently employed as a licensed armed security guard, was arrested for - of all things - being in possession of his service weapon! Steffon Josey-Davis was similarly charged with a felony and faced a minimum of three and one half years in prison. He reached out to the NAACP for legal help, but they refused to get involved. Once again, it was the NRA and other gun rights groups that came to his aid.
A single mother of two young children, Shaneen Allen had already been robbed before she decided to buy a firearm to protect herself and her family. She obtained a Pennsylvania license to carry. Unfortunately, she accidentally strayed across the border into New Jersey - and was pulled over. Just as she was taught in her concealed carry class, she handed the officer her Pennsylvania carry license and informed him that she had her firearm in her purse. Her honesty earned her a felony arrest. The penalty for crossing the line into New Jersey? Three and one half years in prison.
Who do you think rallied to her aid? Well, it wasn't the NAACP, or Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton. They simply ignored her plight as she languished in jail awaiting trial. Then the NRA found out about her case, and they - along with the rest of the gun rights community - sprang into action.
The NRA Used Their Media Reach
To Publicize Shaneen Allen's Case
The NRA Continued To Cover Her Case For Months
The NRA Continued To Cover Her Case For Months
As the NRA and other gun rights groups spread the word, several different funds to aid her were set up and contributions poured in from around the nation. In one month, just one of these efforts raised $61,000.00 to assist her. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was buried in requests from all over the nation - asking him to do the right thing and pardon her.
Eventually, Gov. Christie was persuaded to issue a full pardon to Ms. Allen.
Sadly, the case of Shaneen Allen was not isolated. It was not long until a young Black man who aspired to be a police officer, and was currently employed as a licensed armed security guard, was arrested for - of all things - being in possession of his service weapon! Steffon Josey-Davis was similarly charged with a felony and faced a minimum of three and one half years in prison. He reached out to the NAACP for legal help, but they refused to get involved. Once again, it was the NRA and other gun rights groups that came to his aid.
Steffon Josey-Davis Was Also Pardoned by Gov. Christie
After he was pardoned, it took another 6 months before his gun rights were restored. Meanwhile, lots of job offers came in from police departments. I could not find anything online in regards to his current employment, but I certainly hope he was able to achieve his dream.
Conclusion: There is a very real change taking place in the Black Community's attitude towards the lawful ownership of firearms. It was not started by the NRA, but the NRA certainly supports it. The racist roots of gun control, as well as it's current racist aspects are becoming better known every day. If these trends continue, some of the remaining anti-gun rights states could flip to pro-gun rights in the future.
Two more videos of the same news conference by Black leaders who oppose gun control. The first is a short version, the second is the full, 1 hour and 15 minute news conference.
The Short Version
The Full Version
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