African-Americans Involvement in the Shooting Sports...

[fixyurgun]

I haven't noticed any shortage of non-white shooters in my part of the world. Must be a country vs city thing. Jim

 

[Oleg Volk]

I try to introduce shooters of all ethnic and cultural origins to guns. Many come from countries where that wasn't legal and so they have no background -- but learn eagerly. African or Korean or Wash DCiean, same problem. No chance to learn in the past.

As for racism -- empowering a person by giving them self-defense skill is the direct opposite!

 

[bdickens]

Ya wanna know why? It's thanks to the self-appointed "black leaders." The same "black leaders" who pound it into "their people's" heads that society is racist, that the cards are stacked against them and that they'll never get ahead are the same ones that pound it into their heads that guns are evil.

 

[peyton]

The military is an equal opportunity shooting club. I learned a lot from all people and I in turn try to share that on the range or in the gun shops. There is the same problem getting minority youth into scouts, both cost money and there are a lot of ways the dollar bill can be stretched.

 

[Walkalong]

Around here there are a lot more black hunters than shooters. A fairly large percentage hunt, but not all that many shoot just for fun. I think it is just that ammo was expensive, they were shooting to eat, and they were taught not to waste shots, and that sticks with them.

I am not counting the gang bangers we have here. That is another problem all together. A culture that Black leaders will have to solve. Not most of the present ones who I believe are part of the problem. We need new leaders who taught like MLK did, and don't preach dependence and hate, etc.

Anyway. I don't see anyone on THR as black white, yellow green purple, etc. I see the minds of people here. I like them or I don't but I don't know or care what color their skin is.

My father was an Italion who's parents emigrated to this country. My mom is Heinz 57 "American" (German, Irish, etc, etc,). I was dropped off in Montgomery Alabama at 10 years old in the 60's after living on Air Bases all my life right before my Father retired from the Air Force. Talk about culture shock. I went to an all black (except for one,me) school, and then a mostly white school through high school.

I don't give a rats A** if you are black, white, or purple with pink polka dots. It is who you are that matters to me. I don't like trash of any color and do not want to be around them.

I do not know what 99% of folks here think of me, but I have made "internet friends" here and enjoy my time on THR.

We need to figure out ways to attract all kinds of people to the shooting sports, somehow. I don't know the answer.

Hope I did not get to far off topic.

 

[Drgong]

Yep, I know quite few rural blacks that are amazing shots, but they are the type who bought a box of 50 rounds a few years ago, and still have 20, but they took game 30 times...They don't like wasting ammo...

 

[cambeul41]

I am a community college teacher in Detroit. Since CCW has been shall issue in Michigan, I have heard much less talk by my students about fear of criminals.

Occasionally I discuss self-defense with my classes and provide CCW information to those who express interest. My general impression is that the CCW / CPL possession rate here is considerably higher than it is among the general American population – but Detroiters do not, for the most part, have those guns for sport.

 

[Deanimator]

As much as you would believe it to be, that really does not happen much. This Gun Shop (now closed, bought out by Chicago for O'Hare expansion along with the rest of the WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD), was actually just outside of Crook Country lines and in DuPage. There is very, very, very few actual gun shops in Crook County lines, which is basically Chicago and inherit serf cities.

1. Daley has no authority outside of CHICAGO, nevermind Cook County. That doesn't mean anything to him. And I notice you DIDN'T say it DIDN'T happen, but that it didn't happen MUCH.

2. The law is for fools who work for a living, NOT for the wiseguys and their tools, like Daley.

 

[guitarhero323]

well in the dayton area close to were i live i see plenty of black people at the gun show in hara arena

 

[joshk-k]

If one in 100 Americans is incarcerated, but 1 in 9 black Americans are incarcerated, you have to take that into account as well. Because of systemic racism in the so-called "criminal justice" system, and things like Rockefeller drug laws, the average black man will spend a third of his life in jail. We have laws that prohibit felons from owning or even handling guns, and our society sends away an awful lot of black (men), who then reemerge with a felony record and no way to participate in any shooting sport.

I'm not trying to hi-jack the thread, it just seemed like one obvious answer that hadn't been touched yet.

JOsh

 

[DEDON45]

I would have to hazard a guess that it has a lot to do with social conditioning (guns are bad, only thugs have guns, etc.)... I think you'll find the shooting pastime, in general (there's always bad apples in any group) is one of the more open communities out there. When you have many national black leaders / groups, etc. oriented towards making everyone afraid of firearms, well, it's had an effect. I believe the 2nd Amendment applies to all citizens, not just a select few.

That said, one of my favorite folks to shoot / hunt with when I was a teenager (I've moved away since then) was one of our JROTC instructors... and yes, he was black. He spent a lot of time with us "country white boys" fishing and hunting, 'cause that's what he liked to do, and we were glad to have him -- he taught us quite a bit, in fact.

 

[Arcturus]

1. Daley has no authority outside of CHICAGO, nevermind Cook County. That doesn't mean anything to him. And I notice you DIDN'T say it DIDN'T happen, but that it didn't happen MUCH.

Daley runs the show in northeast Illinois. He does have power outside of Chicago and outside of Crook County. Go drive down Irving Park Ave south of O'Hare and look at a whole neighborhood in another city and county, that he BOUGHT OUT, including the gun shop. It is a damn ghost town there.

"Outside of my city, outside of the county I'm in, so what? Do you know who I am? I'm King Daley"

 

[esmith]

I saw a black man in a gun store once.

I remember thinking "wow, thats cool". But i haven't seen him since.

Ha, that was funny.


Ive seen a few black people at the range i go to, i have also seen asians too. The one black guy was shooting a 500 S&W magnum and ran out of ammo.

 

[kamagong]

I've seen a few African-Americans at the range. Not that many mind you, but they're by no means rare.

The minorities I see most often at gunshops and the range are Latinos and Asians, especially Filipinos. It seems that Filipinos really like their guns. Out of the five shops that are closest to me, two are owned by Filipinos.

The only racial group I hardly ever see is Middle-Easterners. I've seen a grand total of one at my local range, and I'm a regular. He was a middle-aged Persian man who struck up a conversation with me, asking for some shooting tips. He was all over the paper and wanted to know what he was doing wrong. He told me that it was his first firearm, and that it took him a while to summon up the courage to go buy a gun. It seems that he was afraid of possible discriminatory treatment due to his Middle Eastern origins.

 

[NG VI]

Now that I've slept on it I suppose I am a minority as well.


That makes three I have been responsible for rangeing.

I guess my fiance is also a minority, so let's call it four.

 

[tntwatt]

http://www.georgiacarry.org/cms/georgias-carry-laws-explained/

This site has a well written article on Georgia and it's history of "disarming the negros" . Good information.

I'll also go one further and say that most of the black people I know in Georgia are Democrats. We all know the majority of Democrat politicians are antigun fanatics. What better way to keep the black population down than make sure they are unarmed and dependent on the government?

 

[Rachen]

Where I work at my summer job, all of my male African American co-workers are overwhelmingly pro-gun. There are only two females, but they are anti, not because of political reasons, but because they never fired or even handled a gun before.

But after weeks of talking to them, I am starting to convert them over. Once they are comfortable with the facts, I will take them to the range and start them off with my 1911A1. If they like that, then I will let them try my Mauser K-98 and Enfield P-53.

A majority who embraces the equal rights given by the 2nd Amendment is a great way to make sure that racism bites the dust, once and for all. This is the Twenty-First Century already. Hate and intolerance have no place in society. On August 8th, 2008, when gymnast Li Ning ran along the uppermost edge of the Bird's Nest carrying the Olympic torch, the flame not only symbolized the sport, but welcoming a great new future for all people.

 

[john917v]

I haven't seen too many shooters from minorities. I've also heard friends say that they wouldn't go hunting because it's too 'redneckish'. That friend was from a minority race also. But, it is great to see people of all races, and both sexes come out to enjoy our great sport, and to exercise their liberties to do so.

 

[El Tejon]

Many Black people live in urban areas where firearms ownership is impossible or so intentionally difficult that it might as well be impossible. How would a Black person in Chicago get involved with bullseye pistol shooting when he can't even own a pistol in the first place?

Depends on what urban area we are discussing. At the range in Indianapolis, the 13th largest city, last Sunday many African-Americans were present. I see African-Americans at gun shoppes and shows in Indianapolis regularly. However, in all my gun skul hours I have seen a grand total of one African-American in a class, a Pat Rogers carbine class. He was an auto engineer from Michigan.

One of my ideas, O.K., O.K., I admit that I have several, is to create a "Shoot for America" program with the NRA. We would get African-American males of say retirement age, younger if we can, and go to Boys Clubs and churches in Chicago and present a sports program to instill discipline. Transport African-American kids to Indiana to go shooting all day.

If you look at the percentage of African-American boys being raised without the presence of a father, you will cry and then understand why there may be a dearth of African-American shooters--each one, teach one--there is often no one to teach them. African-American boys often grow up without the joy of being taught to shoot that so many of us experienced. Guns represent only thuggery and violence and no one is there to show them how to shoot and more importantly how to be disciplined.

 

[lysander]

The only racists I see around the shooting life is it seems that each gun show as a wanna-be Nazi or KKK guy.

In many areas of the country this is far more prevalent than many might be comfortable admitting. The guys mentioned above are real poison apples in my book...they spoil whole orchards, let alone just a barrel.

That being said the demographic makeup of your local range and gun store is likely a direct function of the demographics of where you live. If you are shooting at an indoor gun-range in a lily white suburb, you probably won't see many variables in terms of ethnicity.

Where I live, at some of the larger public ranges, during any given visit I can see all variations shooting.

I tend to agree with the idea that the "mainstream" in the shooting sports tends to project a certain image and/or political affiliation. Tom Servo did a fine job highlighting this earlier in the thread.

 

[Soybomb]

It seems that Filipinos really like their guns

The philippines is one of the few other countries in the world that has anything resembling almost liveable gun control laws. Its the home of armscor and has its share of practical shooting games.

 

[Drgong]

In many areas of the country this is far more prevalent than many might be comfortable admitting. The guys mentioned above are real poison apples in my book...they spoil whole orchards, let alone just a barrel.

Indeed, If a guy is selling a real Nazi era luger and he throwing in a real Nazi flag, it does not bother me any more then someone selling a Nippon Empire flag. There is a place for historical stuff, just like say, stalin era russian stuff. However the KKK and the new production Nazi sellers make me sick.

 

[Zundfolge]

I suspect this is another one of those Urban vs Rural issues.

Shooting is a Rural sport ... shooting in an Urban environment is expensive and difficult (impossible in some urban areas).


Also, Blacks overwhelmingly support the Democrat party which is overwhelmingly anti gun, so it would make sense to me that for whatever cultural/political reasons Blacks are overwhelmingly anti gun.

 

[eflatminor]

To your question...because Blacks in America tend to be Liberal Democrates (Liberal Fascists, same thing) and as such, they are told by their "leaders" in the church, the government and other private organizations (such as the NAACP) that it is in there best interest to be disarmed. That's really too bad because given their typical economic situation (lower income, lower education on average and higher crime neighborhoods), they are the ones more prone have violence visited upon them. Why American Blacks don't stand up for their right to protect themselves is beyond me. Then again, I don't really give a crap if someone chooses to be a victim...just don't try to force me into the same position.

 

[moga]

In metro Atlanta, all kinds of people shoot at my range. It's hardly ever "slow" and plenty of men and women, white and non-white, shoot there. The staff is about 50/50 black and white. Lots of women LE shoot there too. Male LE seem to shop there more than they shoot.

At my favorite gun shop (Adventure Outdoors, Smyrna) I can't remember a time there when there wasn't at least one AA there shopping beside me. I notice a lot of first time couples buying guns lately at AO, white and black. From what I've seen, I'd say the split is 2/1 handguns v. shotguns when the couples make purchases.