This image came attached to a hate & bullshit piece written by Matt Terzi in firebrandleft.com. I think a little exploration is necessary to expose the ignorance and the accompanying prejudice, so shall we?
Wendell Pierce is a fantastic actor and anybody who watched the five seasons of The Wire will agree with me. The problem is that most Hollywood actors think themselves as experts on an issue because they played pretend in front of a camera. Mr. Pierce’s ignorance shows at the outset of his tweet when he does not know that you are required to be 21 and older to get a permit to carry a firearm.
And Wendell, we in the NRA embrace people of every color. In fact we wish that every black male and female (You kinda forgot the women there, bunk. Shades of misogyny? Or maybe the idea of a black woman empowered to defend herself is a scary thought? ) joined and learned not only about guns, but the history of the Second Amendment and the racist roots of gun control.
And you know what would happen? Crime in black neighborhoods would drop just like it has happened in other neighborhoods and across the Nation. It will not be just the gang members and the drug dealers doing whatever is they want because they fear no consequence, but they would thread careful and more likely go Hamsterdam to ply their trade than try to take a corner where mom and pop and the neighbors would rain lead on their asses. A lot of the so-called Black Leaders would have to explain why did they treat the people they were supposed to serve as second-class citizens, they would have to explain why they allowed a culture of victimization and lack of responsibility be the guiding principles of the Black community. And worse of all, the old black political structure would crumble because it is hard to fool people once their eyes have been opened.
Now Mr. Pierce, I do urge you to join the NRA and subscribe to the First Freedom magazine. Read it, learn what we are about. Come shoot with us, it is fun! And then make a rational decision about the NRA and its members of every color and religion and sexual orientation, not one based on lies and misconceptions by those who see you as less than able to be an intelligent and responsible human being.
Most of the young men carrying guns in the black community are not only too young to be doing so, but many have felony convictions that would prevent them acquiring CCW licenses to begin with.
I’d love to see everyone have mandatory weapons safety training and free CCW training and licensing. I’d love to see open carry in all 50 states. I could care less what color they were: if they have the legal right and ability to carry, I wish they would. It would make me feel much safer knowing that at least 50% of the adult population around me was armed to deter and stop criminal activity at any given moment.
I am always reminded of the old lady who gets pulled over and admits she has three handguns on her. The cop asks her what she is paranoid about. Her reply? “I have three handguns: I’m not paranoid about anything!”
AN armed society is a safer, more polite society. We are going to have to use CCW to protect ourselves when the police can’t and the federals won’t.
What a bunch of bunk. Living in an area of the country where Puerto Ricans outnumber blacks 4 to 1, Puerto Ricans are our fastest growing CCW applicants. They are also our fastest growing segments of new applications to the location gun/sportsmens clubs. They’ve been welcomed and in fact, they’re mostly in their early 30s and that’s who we need to recruit to keep the clubs alive in years to come. It also turns out that Puerto Ricans are top notch fisherman and outdoorsmen. Sadly, people like Wendell always seem to find racism under every leaf they turn over.
The tweet is likely correct–not because gun owners would push for it, but because bigots would. See the reaction to the Black Panthers in California, or may-issue licensing states where minorities are less likely to be approved.
Indiana requires you to be 18 to get a permit.
19 for Missouri, and I think there are a few more states with lower than 21 age requirments
He is right, though: Gun control always starts by trying to disarm minorities.
Gun control proponents are racist.
They try and make everything about racism and religion,when it is really all about the people good is good and bad is bad, it is that simple.
[…] Personally, I’d call it a step in the right direction. […]
I wish all black Americans WOULD join the NRA! The NRA has a proud history of arming black self-defense groups against the Klan (through the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s distribution of surplus military rifles).
Self-defense is a human right!