Blacks Used to Support the Second Amendment

[Frodo]

I heard that up through the 1960s, blacks used to be very supportive of the Second Amendment, bearing arms to protect themselves from the Klan.  When did this begin to change, and why?  Was it the crack pandemic of the 1980s that made blacks so hostile to guns?  What happened?

[Sbane]

Many times their neighborhoods are the most affected by gun violence.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Many times their neighborhoods are the most affected by gun violence.

There are times where they aren't?

[DrScholl]

Gang violence is the reason, for the past few decades it has plagued black communities. And considering that a lot of blacks went from being rural to urban during the great migration, that caused views to change.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The protection of 2nd Amendment rights for African-Americans was part of the argument for the 14th amendment - that it would become an individual right so that they could protect themselves from those who would try to reverse the progress made toward freedom.
What happened more recently is that the threat of violence from outsiders (lynch mobs, racist police, etc) is less pronounced, and the threat of violence within black neighborhoods increased in the 70s and 80s.  That lends itself more to seeing the government's efforts at gun control as being on the same side of the people in the community who are trying to stop violence there, instead of a more oppositional relationship as the state against the community. But there are still plenty of blacks who support gun rights, and controversy about racial profiling in the enforcement of gun laws.

[badgate]

Haven't y'all seen The Wire?

[Sbane]

Many times their neighborhoods are the most affected by gun violence.

There are times where they aren't?

Ladera Heights? View park-Windsor hills? Yes, most black neighborhood tend to be mostly poor so the crime rate is high. In Los Angeles, there are black upper middle class areas and as expected crime is low.

[memphis]

And in the old days, the NRA, was very uncomfortable with the blacks packing heat. So what?

[King]

People who support gun control still support the second amendment.  Just like people who want to ban obscenity support the first amendment.

[Simfan34]

People who support gun control still support the second amendment.  Just like people who want to ban obscenity support the first amendment.

Well, some of us don't.

[Paul Kemp]

People who support gun control still support the second amendment.  Just like people who want to ban obscenity support the first amendment.

I think a better comparison would be ". . . Just like people who want to ban yelling 'fire' in a public theater support the first amendment."

[King]

People who support gun control still support the second amendment.  Just like people who want to ban obscenity support the first amendment.

I think a better comparison would be ". . . Just like people who want to ban yelling 'fire' in a public theater support the first amendment."

Perhaps, but I imagine most of the far right who would debate this issue care more about obscenity that people on fire.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I read this too. During the days when the National Guard would be sent into black neighborhoods, it was the suburban middle-class whites that were afraid of the blacks with guns. In many ways, the dichotomy was reversed. The greatest danger many blacks had was white cops, the national guard, etc. and they wanted protection against them. Meanwhile, the national guard troops were probably damn scared of the maniacs with guns.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

And in the old days, the NRA, was very uncomfortable with the blacks packing heat. So what?

What?

[pbrower2a]

When the Klan was a threat blacks found the Second Amendment necessary, and apparently the 14th Amendment was interpreted to prohibit discrimination on grounds of race by the States on the possession of firearms.

Of course the Bloods and Crips do not constitute what anyone considers a "well-regulated militia". Those beasts shoot at a neighbor's house as a warning to the person who has yet to get the message.

[bedstuy]

And in the old days, the NRA, was very uncomfortable with the blacks packing heat. So what?

One of the NRA's major reasons for being founded was to help protect black people from the KKK, they helped arm them.

I find that very hard to believe. 

[Sopranos Republican]

And in the old days, the NRA, was very uncomfortable with the blacks packing heat. So what?

One of the NRA's major reasons for being founded was to help protect black people from the KKK, they helped arm them.

I find that very hard to believe. 

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/12/sorry-libs-nra-was-there-to-help-blacks-defend-themselves-from-kkk-democrats-not-the-other-way-around/

[bedstuy]

And in the old days, the NRA, was very uncomfortable with the blacks packing heat. So what?

One of the NRA's major reasons for being founded was to help protect black people from the KKK, they helped arm them.

I find that very hard to believe. 

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/12/sorry-libs-nra-was-there-to-help-blacks-defend-themselves-from-kkk-democrats-not-the-other-way-around/

This doesn't say that the NRA was founded in any way to protect black people or arm black people.  The earliest date is 1956, way after the NRA was founded.

[DrScholl]

Conservative sites are not reliable sources and that site doesn't even say that the NRA was founded to protect blacks, that is an assertion that is complete fiction.

[bedstuy]

I understand this is from 1956, but my point is more or less, is that the NRA is in no way racist. You may not agree with what they stand for, I don't agree with everything they do, but at very least they did some good.

I guess that's true as far as it goes.  But, if your point is based on history that you made up, I would argue you don't really have any legitimate argument.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The NRA was not founded either for or against blacks having guns. It was founded to teach and promote the riflery skills.  After governments began to enforce stricter anti-gun laws in the 1960s and 70s (partially in reaction against Black Panthers), the NRA moved toward more lobbying to oppose those laws and promote the 2nd amendment as an individual right.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/09/the-secret-history-of-guns/308608/?single_page=true

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Most of what's being posted here is idiotic propaganda, but it should not come as a surprise that blacks favored personal firearm ownership when the KKK and lynch mobs were most active.

[SPC]

If they realized that personal firearms ownership could protect them from the KKK and/or lynch mobs, why wouldn't they use the same logic to determine that personal firearms ownership could protect them from criminal gangs?

[DrScholl]

No one in inner cities is going to mess with gangs, if anyone in the neighborhood was to go waving a shot gun at the local gang, they wouldn't live to tell it. Besides that, most gang violence involves gang members, bystanders just get caught in the crossfire and aren't always threatened unless they decide to take on the gang. Most people simply stay out of the way of gangs and don't make themselves targets for violence.

With the Klan, there was really no choice but to fight, the Klan was going to come for blacks rather blacks crossed them or not.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

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