Why Black Americans Understand Gun Rights
By Christian Tippins
Though many would rarely admit it, there is an image that easily comes to mind when imagining the quintessential American gun owner: usually white, always male, and probably conservative and/or southern. Don’t get me wrong, that gun owner definitely exists; I've met plenty and they comprise a good chunk of the Texas population. However, in recent years a trend has emerged featuring a new kind of gun-owner: the black American.
In the first half of 2020, gun sales increased by 58 percent amongst black men and women. As a black woman with a mother and grandfather who worked in law enforcement, I understood from an early age the necessity of police. However, it was my relatives’ specialized career that enabled them to arm themselves. Now, in unprecedented numbers, black Americans are exercising their Second Amendment right to buy guns. What could explain this phenomenon?
The Left would tell you it's driven by white supremacy and systemic racism. They simply that blacks are incapable of discerning their real interest, seduced instead by the false conservative messaging of empowerment against government encroachment and personal defense.
This mindset is illogical. Black people are not, first of all, disproportionally targeted by the police, as they're actually less likely to encounter police.
My suspicion is that ever-increasing violence in predominantly black areas is motivating the surge in gun sales. While mainstream media outlets like to pretend it doesn’t exist, black-on-black crime is still a major concern. In a day when Chicago experiences multiple shootings within one weekend without progressives batting an eye while demanding to defund the police, it's understandable that blacks would want to invest in a weapon that could guarantee their safety more reliably and immediately than a 911 call.
Joy Behar of The View put her foot in her mouth when she made the claim that conservatives would support gun control if black people started buying guns. Alas, here we are, and conservatives are left ideologically and constitutionally consistent. Black people are buying guns, and they're buying them to protect themselves from the violence in the cities and communities in which they live. Many black women, especially if they live alone, believe they can’t rely on the police anymore, especially after all the damage the Left has done to erode the institution. A gun is their equalizer in the event of a domestic altercation, intruder, or other encounter with a criminal.
The Second Amendment enumerates our right to protect ourselves and our families. Gun control doesn't stop the bad guy with the gun. Gun control doesn't protect American citizens but rather puts them in the position to victimized by criminals who already blatantly disregard the rule of law. Gun control will hurt blacks in the long run, as it would every other racial demographic.
Photo via Winsome Earle-Sears on Twitter
