The Second Amendment Foundation today announced the launch of a new effort to remind America that the right to keep and bear arms is all-inclusive, and that all citizens regardless of race, creed or color should never be denied the exercise of their constitutionally-protected rights.
“The Second Amendment is color-blind,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “No law-abiding citizen should ever be denied the right to purchase a firearm or get a license to carry due to the color of their skin. We’re launching our new Equality Project now because in recent days the topic of racism has been on everyone’s mind, and there’s been an increasing interest in gun ownership among minorities.
“History has taught us,” he observed, “that oppressive gun control has its roots in racism.”
Gottlieb pointed to the infamous “black codes” that, among other things, regulated or prohibited gun ownership by free African-Americans living in the South following the Civil War.
“This made it impossible for former slaves to defend themselves against attack by vicious night riders,” he said. “It was wrong then, and it is even more wrong today. We want to make sure this sort of social bigotry never rears its ugly head again. At the end of the day, if all gun owners don’t stand together, the Second Amendment will almost certainly fall apart.
The Second Amendment Foundation is asking, “If you or anyone you know has been denied a permit to purchase or carry a firearm, please notify us immediately.”
“The Foundation will have our attorneys get involved to protect the Second Amendment rights of all Americans, especially minorities who are being discriminated against,” Gottlieb said. “SAF has a strong track record of protecting minorities, including the landmark Supreme Court case of McDonald v. Chicago, plus lower court victories including Ezell v. Chicago and Moore v. Madigan. These cases show that in the past we have not tolerated discrimination against minorities exercising their Second Amendment rights, and we have no intention of allowing that in the future.”
To contact SAF about the Gun Rights Equality Project, please email us at [email protected]
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
i worked out a thing with nra: no more mailers.
need to do something about the piles of mail i get from these guys. pretty hinky too what with the goofy questionaires and the hoky serial numbering. good outfit, great work, for sure costs a lot to get results.
but that barrage of incoming paper. it’s astonishing. pick a day, once a year. i’ll write a check.
I’ve written it here before and tell people at gun shows:
Return a note to NRA (it can be your latest money request in the postage-paid envelope) with “Do Not Solicit” clearly printed prominently. I know some of the gomers here were mocking it a while back but it does work.
As for any money that NRA might be “wasting” soliciting funds, most people do not understand how this form of direct mail works.
As per Gotlieb’s “new” program, it appears to be a bit of virtue signaling to me. I can think of no “normal” Americans who even consider the race, creed and/or color of anyone who chooses to own or use a firearm. We do, however, question how so many convicted felons of every race, creed and/or color manage to end up with firearms to further ply their criminal careers, especially when there are thousands of laws- local, municipal, county, state and federal that expressly forbid it..
Not virtue signaling, but trying to find another argument to be able to defend the 2nd. There’s a TON of caselaw about racism and once you can successfully make that argument it opens up TONS of avenues in the courts.
Getting mailers you do not want or from an organization you disapprove of?
Simple. If they are postage paid reply envelopes, simply fill them up with a LOT of paper and other weighty junk that WILL NOT excessively bulge or burst the envelope.
Then tape the edges securely so it will not break en route.
Then drop it in a mail box.
This will cost the issuer of the envelope a hefty weight charge for the contents…and they will have to open it and deal with the contents.
DO NOT put anything of yours in the envelope. You do not want it traced back to you in case being a nuisance becomes a problem.
I’m in agreement with any effort that expands (returns to roots) our rights. Though I admit my focus was thwarted when I came across the line “No law-abiding citizen should ever be denied the right to purchase a firearm or get a license to carry…”
Baby steps, I suppose, though all such licenses are unlawful and need to be abolished. You know, like 16 States have now done.
This. Not everyone, even among our political allies, really comprehends what a right is or what a license is.
I was about to post the same citation. You don”t need a license or permit to exercise your right, if you do, it’s only a privilege.
Yes, baby steps. Knock down barriers to licensing first. Blood does not flow in the streets. Eventually, only the thinnest shred will remain between the current state of affairs and “wait, why do we need licenses again?”
Why, indeed.
I personally think we POTG should be hammering on the historical basis of licenses, in light of the current groundswell of hatred for all-things-racist. If licenses were born out of efforts to control the black population, then if “racist” statues can be torn down, why can’t gun licensing laws be nullified?
This is why we must all unite and try to get every state to pass legislation about Constitutional/open carry laws, because in doing so, we take away the power of the Govt. to control who they issue a carry license based on skin color and/or race. They (the Govt.) act as if the Second Amendment is a privilege, when in truth, it is what is known as a God given right under our Constitution’s Bill Of Rights. That’s the way it was from the beginning, back in the days. People used to open carry, as it was how you were able to exercise your Constitutional carry right. It was when people decided they wanted to “conceal” carry, that the Govt. stepped in with the scheme that in order to do so, you have to get permission, in the form of a license. And slowly but surely, they got rid of Constitutional/open carry, in favor of licensing citizens, in order for them to not only control who they allowed to carry, but also as a way for each county/municipality to generate income out of the licensing fees and renewals.
I’m afraid it was Jim Crow laws that resulted in bans on / licensing for open carry, not the desire to carry concealed. After the war, southern states passed blanket bans on the carrying of a firearm knowing full well that no judge would try a white man for doing so. At least, not for the future they could forsee. When the Democrats switched from trying to oppress blacks to trying to buy their votes, that’s when their platform shifted from “ban the carrying of arms for blacks” to “ban the carrying of arms for everybody,” and all they had to do was enforce existing laws.
It’s a simple historical fact: the origin of gun control lies in racism and oppression. Not that that’s changed today, mind you.
I am not worried about a person of African heritage with a firearm any more than a person of European heritage with a firearm. What that person is doing with the firearm is what may concern myself.
God did not say that the right to defend oneself and family was only for one race. The discussion about how the government controls the rules of firearm ownership is a different conversation altogether.
“I am not worried about a person of African heritage with a firearm any more than a person of European heritage with a firearm.“
Well, when you consider that most modern war has originated in Europe, Franco-Prussian war, Spanish American war, World War I and World War II, with millions dead, the Africans seem pretty peaceful by contrast.
LMAO. That one made me laugh a lot.
The Sudan, Somalia, the Congo, Rwanda, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, etc., would like a word with you.
That’s because only they could have really modern wars. Primitive Africans in the meantime simply killed each other with bats, rocks and sharp sticks, but with much bigger enthusiasm.
“…the Africans seem pretty peaceful by contrast.”
So, that Hutu and Tutsi thing was just playing?
In point of fact, European colonialism is responsible for much of the turmoil, strife and warfare in the African continent:
“The imposition of colonialism on Africa altered its history forever. African modes of thought, patterns of cultural development, and ways of life were forever impacted by the change in political stnlcture brought about by colonialisln. The African economy was significantly changed by the Atlantic slave trade through the process of imperialisnl and the economic policies that accompanied colonization. Prior to the “Scramble for Africa,” or the official partition of Africa by the major European nations, African econolnies were advancing in every area, particularly in the area of trade. The aiim of colonialisln is to exploit the physical, human, and economic resources of an area to benefit the colonizing nation. European powers pursued this goal by encouraging the development of a commodity based trading systeIll, a cash
crop agriculture systeIn, and by building a trade network linking the total economic output of a region to the demands of the colonizing state. The developlnent of colonialisln and the partition of Africa by the European colonial powers arrested the natural development of the African economic system.“
“In point of fact, European colonialism is responsible for much of the turmoil, strife and warfare in the African.”
Just what a liberal communist professor of political science would say in his first day of class. Thank God I switched my major to marketing. Some things never change. Apparently, you never will. What a putz.
Europe and all its people are always bad and wrong, and all the bad and wrong things in the world are attributable to anyone who either looks European or might think like one. “Because colonialism…” is the only answer you need. Because nobody in Africa ever waged a brutal war against anyone before Europeans ruined their utopia, amirite?
Choose a moment in history, freeze it, polarize it, and project all its wrongs onto your target. This is “liberal” now.
I didn’t realize that there was any systemic discrimination against Blacks owning firearms. All laws in the nation are either equal for all races or beneficial to minorities (college admissions, minority hiring quotas, minority-owned business contracting initiatives). Can anyone point to any examples of Blacks being denied ownership based on their race? This seems like a pointless, expensive virtue signal.
Almost all of my white friends own firearms and go shooting somewhat regularly. I can only think of one black friend off the top of my head among the many who actually has a firearm, and it’s a very basic pistol. None of them own rifles or shotguns, nor do they go shooting often. Many of them remarked that it’s a white person sport or that it was too daunting to try to pick up.
It’s a cultural issue that is partially fueled by fear of the police (they think they will be killed for having one in the car with them). We need to do a better job with outreach and making first time buyers/shooters feel welcomed and trained.
Golly I see a boatload of black folks carrying guns. Legally too. Filling gun stores & local ranges. Including my beautiful black wife…you need to expand your horizons PJ😏
We need to do that for ALL new and first-time gun owners, of which there will be many, many more in the coming months. Let’s not be condescending dicks this time. Okay, guys?
Stop talking sense. Obviously the answer is to shit on anyone different. Noobs, other generations, races, sexes, sexual orientations, classes, people who pick a different caliber or action etc.
Unity is weakness. Division is strength. Nuance is for poor people who sit at home unemployed and therefore have the time for useless shit like books.
@Cloudbuster;
I don’t have the article with me, but I remember reading an article that one of the reasons the now governor of the state of Texas wanted to pass into law open carry in that state was because of the many law-abiding citizens from different municipalities where the corresponding sheriffs were biased when it came to them signing the approval for licensing certain individuals, which after further investigation, turned out that the majority of those cases of licensing denials happened to be from blacks and Hispanics.
The cause of disparities isn’t always racism.
god forbid gun owners make an effort to broaden their base of support.
Oh, *please*.
The recent looting and burning have done wonders in drumming up real grassroot support for gun rights…
Dope heads, drunks and thieves, child molesters also ? Just asking
You just described most of us here
I am sending them all the money NRA has been begging for so they can further projects like this.
Good luck persuading leftists that black people can be trusted with guns. Even black leftists won’t go for that.
I absolutely believe that every sane, non-feloncitizen, black, white, brown, red, yellow, etc. should have the right to own semi automatic handguns and rifles. We should have a mandatory legal rights and obligations class and proficiency testing on the range before issuing a concealed weapons permit.
There should be a clear path back to full citizenship for all ex felons, to regain their voting and second amendment rights.
And in particular, I think black folks need to consider very carefully arming themselves, they do seem to be a particular target of some law enforcement officers:
In WV:
“A federal appeals court Tuesday revived a lawsuit against police officers in Martinsburg, West Virginia, by the family of a black man killed in 2013 and used the opportunity to comment on police brutality, writing, “This has to stop.”
“Although we recognize that our police officers are often asked to make split-second decisions, we expect them to do so with respect for the dignity and worth of black lives. Before the ink dried on this opinion, the FBI opened an investigation into yet another death of a black man at the hands of police, this time George Floyd in Minneapolis. This has to stop,” the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in a unanimous opinion.
Wayne Jones, who was homeless and schizophrenic, died when five officers tased him, kicked him, put him in a chokehold and shot him 22 times. He was carrying a knife but was lying motionless at the time the police shot him, the court said.
In TX:
A disturbing new video released Monday by the Austin Police Department shows Javier Ambler pleading for his life as officers restrained him in Austin, Texas. This comes as massive protests have sprung up around the country in response to police brutality — and the clip in question raises alarms because Ambler’s arrest was being filmed for an A&E police-themed reality television show Live PD.
Ambler, whose March 2019 death was ruled a homicide, was black, appeared sober, and was unarmed, according to public records. In the body camera footage, officers restrain Ambler on his stomach and attempt to handcuff him. As they threaten to tase him, Amblers struggles to breathe and repeats, “I have congestive heart failure,” and, “I can’t breathe.” Ambler refers to the officers as “sir” throughout and tells them, “I am not resisting.” He pleads “save me” and gasps for air before officers tase him in the back. “I’m pretty sure I just broke his finger,” an officer says, pulling Ambler’s arm behind him. After being cuffed, Ambler falls limp.”
Except I’ve visually seen you argue here against the very existence of the 2A. So, I’ll take your “I want to see everyone armed” statement as a pure lie to fit in, so you can continue your insidious, paid trolling.
Friend, I’m calling BS on your assertion:
“Except I’ve visually seen you argue here against the very existence of the 2A.”
Please remind me when I have “argued against the very existence of the 2A”, thanks!
“should have the right to own semi automatic handguns and rifles”
You did post something similar a few days ago, but you said Most semi autos. You also said you were fine with a magazine limit of 30, like 30 was the tipping point. I guess you’d force DD to redesign their mags.
I’m not sure what you meant by most semi autos, but I’ll ask the same question again: So you won’t be voting for Biden, who promised to put Bob in charge of coming after those scary semi autos, I assume including yours? And you do realize if the dems are able to, they will limit all magazines to 10, for starters anyway.
It is interesting that most folks on this forum take the most extreme views from the fringe elements of the Democratic Party and project them onto the entirety of the Democrat population.
That is unrealistic, and as silly as projecting the racism and violence of the most extreme elements of the right wing onto every single Republican in the US.
The fact is, the vast majority of Democrats do not want open borders and do not want to ban A.R. 15s.
“take the most extreme views from the fringe elements of the Democratic Party”
Wait, what? Are you called Joe Biden an extremist? He’s the guy from your party running for President. He literally said he was going to put O’Rourke in charge of this effort. Do you think he randomly picked Bob for that job? “Hell, yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47”
Now that we’ve all agreed that discrimination based on race is wrong can we get back to bashing each other based on age?
Asking on behalf of like half the board.
Okay, Boomer?
I like the spirit but your execution is wanting.
I hear your boyfriend tells you the exact same thing.
You gotta Purdy mouth…
When Black Americans wise up and tell their democrat party slave masters to go pound sand America will be greatly improved. The democrat party owns the legacy of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, lynching, the KKK, Eugenics, Gun Control and other race based atrocities.
The only people who can hold the democrat party fully responsible are Black Americans. If you are going to march against bad cops surely you can march against something thousands of times worse…That would be the democrat party. The party that needs to be held accountable for their horrendous race based atrocities.
So now even the SAF is engaged in the latest round of lemming-like racial virtue signaling? Can we knock this off and attend to far more important matters?
I do not consider this “lemming-like racial virtue signaling”, I look at it as an appropriate, timely, and reasoned response to current events. It is easy to overlook the fact that 99.9% of America does not read or contribute to TTAG- or even know it exists for that matter. If you are reading this you are a member of a small, insular group. SAF needs to reach 99.9% of America- where the message is not being heard (or actively being jammed). The first step to understanding is education, and this is what SAF is trying to do with this project. I support it 100%, and donated immediately upon receiving my email from SAF on Monday. I encourage everyone who supports the Second Amendment to support SAF by helping them get the message out, to the people who need to receive it, articulated in a manner they’re currently primed to hear it. Or not- it’s totally up to you.
I think the SAF is correct in its direction. What our side needs more then ever is allies of all colors. The post Trump years are coming up fast. We need to prepare. Not with our guns but with our minds. We need to build our numbers not our ammo supply. We are the minority in this country. Never forget that. I firmly believe the three most important skills we will need post Trump are hacking (with an emphasis on the dark web), ghost gunning, and reloading. These are in addition to the assumed skill of prepping. Think about the times you will be living in and act accordingly.
So SAF was not for Equality b4 now…that is the message…..
Virtue signaling is targeted to the wrong crowd!
Take action and get more people of all types into the 2A & Shooting Sports World no virtue signalling required!
Virtue signaling means ur guilty of fail……….
Sorry Alan, but I still remember several years ago when you begged politicians for mandatory national gun registration and a ban on private gun sales. That’s when I stopped donating to the SAF.
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