Blacks and Guns

For John, BLUF:  The history of Blacks and the Second Amendment is complex.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Mass shootings are a call to arms for some black Americans, not a moment for gun control

Here is the sub-headline:

Black gun rights advocates say limiting access would make them more vulnerable to racist attacks, especially in the absence of real problem solving.

From USA Today, by Mr Kim Trent, 26 August 2019.

Here is the lede plus one:

Black Americans have had a curious relationship with firearms.  These weapons were used to keep them subdued during slavery, then terrorized in the Jim Crow south.  African-American gun advocates argue that guns also preserved our ancestors’ peace when they were menaced by racists in the antebellum South and the divided North.  They argue that, as with all social issues in America, the role of race cannot be downplayed in gun control debates.

I am an adamant proponent of what I believe to be sensible gun reform.  But I also recognize that America’s offirearm fetish won’t be addressed by folks like me having conversations in a vacuum.  So I reached out to Kofi Kenyatta, a gun rights advocate I deeply respect, to get his take on how the issue affects America in general and the black community specifically.

Those with a smattering of post-Civil War history know that "gun control" legislation was a way of keeping guns out of the hands of Black Americans.  I don't think now is the time for Blacks to walk away from the Second Amendment.  Nor other thinking Americans to walk away.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff