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African-American Gun Clubs
- Thread starter Zappa
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I've only met a few black people on the range, but they tend to be a diverse and friendly bunch .... MRI technician; Cardiac surgery anesthesiologist; paralegal and a federal air marshall. I find I have more in common with them than white moonbats.
namedpipes
NES Member
I'm not sure what my background is. Minininjer insists I'm Asian. My grandmother insisted I'm part Indian. (Although I did not make that claim in college) ancestry.com basically says everyone in my family tree was a bunch of s***s and God only knows my real parentage.
I can't afford to be racist!
My only requirement to treat you with respect is to treat me with the same. As far as skin color or accents are concerned, differences between people are a lot like spices added to food. They can make a good meal great.
I can't afford to be racist!
My only requirement to treat you with respect is to treat me with the same. As far as skin color or accents are concerned, differences between people are a lot like spices added to food. They can make a good meal great.
greencobra
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the common denominator is firearms. being a gun geek puts me in touch with and made friends with people I would never ordinarily associate with otherwise.
amm5061
NES Member
Like it or not, us old crotchety white guys can be a little intimidating to minorities and women who view us as a bunch of old crotchety white guys. The truth may be, and generally is, far different: the gun owners I've all met have been nice, open, friendly people who are happy to engage just about anyone when it comes to our sport.
I think I have to agree that community outreach is one of the key ways to turn this image around and bring in more women and minorities to the shooting sports. In MA, that's particularly difficult, since you almost can't have a conversation about guns with someone in public without getting some serious negative feedback. The biggest win for the moonbats around here was the stigmatization of gun ownership. That's the very first thing that needs to be turned around. It's simply not safe for us to come out of the gun safe.![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
I think I have to agree that community outreach is one of the key ways to turn this image around and bring in more women and minorities to the shooting sports. In MA, that's particularly difficult, since you almost can't have a conversation about guns with someone in public without getting some serious negative feedback. The biggest win for the moonbats around here was the stigmatization of gun ownership. That's the very first thing that needs to be turned around. It's simply not safe for us to come out of the gun safe.
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I don't normally post. Found this forum last year after I got my LTC and wanted to buy an AR after 7/20. Since then have bought a few other things from members. I also joined Braintree rifle and pistol.
Braintree has been as welcoming a place as any I've ever been in and not that it matters but has a diverse group of members (men, women, young, old and whatever other slice you want to use).
Everyone that I've met through this site has been great to deal with as well. Never gotten a hint of racism in face to face meetings in fact gotten a ton of helpful tips.
Couldn't agree more with what Len wrote.
Braintree has been as welcoming a place as any I've ever been in and not that it matters but has a diverse group of members (men, women, young, old and whatever other slice you want to use).
Everyone that I've met through this site has been great to deal with as well. Never gotten a hint of racism in face to face meetings in fact gotten a ton of helpful tips.
Couldn't agree more with what Len wrote.
Mesatchornug
NES Member
Count me in.Have any of the instructors out there considered offering a free MA compliant class to minorities? [...]
Hmm, I wonder if I could reserve some space for a community firearms safety event in the Memorial building.[...] Any interested instructors? (so much for my political capital in town...I mean city) <hooray for the return of our emojis>
![[devil]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/015.gif "Devil [devil]")
![[rockon]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/020.gif "Rockon [rockon]")
Maj Toure was doing great work. Unfortunately, it looks like he's taking a break due to harassment. Hopefully, he'll get the support and rest he needs to get back into it.
Related, Coilin Noir serves to do good things to help promote as well, simply by normalizing the image of a black man in the community. I sort of wish he would go on other programs and tell his story, including the first three gun match he went to because it is directly on topic for this thread.
This hits it pretty well on the head. It doesn't matter how accepting we are, if the story on the outside is that ours is a position of power to be feared. I can see the idea of a nominally black gun club as valuable, in the same way as I see one for the queer community - it provides a place that is actively inviting to folks of the target audience. This decreases the fear and lowers barrier to entry. I note, however, that personally I think it's important that these are inclusive invitations, not exclusive.Like it or not, us old crotchety white guys can be a little intimidating to minorities and women who view us as a bunch of old crotchety white guys. The truth may be, and generally is, far different: the gun owners I've all met have been nice, open, friendly people who are happy to engage just about anyone when it comes to our sport.
I think I have to agree that community outreach is one of the key ways to turn this image around and bring in more women and minorities to the shooting sports. In MA, that's particularly difficult, since you almost can't have a conversation about guns with someone in public without getting some serious negative feedback. The biggest win for the moonbats around here was the stigmatization of gun ownership. That's the very first thing that needs to be turned around. It's simply not safe for us to come out of the gun safe.
For example - the Pink Pistols' view is that if you support the ownership of firearms (for self defense) by people of sexual minority communities, you are welcome to call yourself a Pink Pistol and to join us at events. While this might mean that the group is primarily queer (and could easily become mostly white males by coincidence) it doesn't block anyone else from joining us.
It sounds like NAAGA has a similar mindset, focused towards the African American community. If the same is true of the club for which this thread started, I'm all about it. If they're self-segregating in hopes of finding a safe space, I hope their membership will look around and cause the corporate governance to reconsider.
So far as coming out of the gun safe in the northeast, and especially MA - having done a bit of both in both communities, it's no harder than coming out of the closet. Grow a pair and talk to people you may disagree with on something you care about. The more you do it, the easier and more comfortable it becomes. Better still, the more we will find acceptance. Yes, sometimes you'll want to scream with impotent rage, and you'll know you need to stay calm; reflecting on that later can be a source of growth.
Need? No. There is no need for that. However if blacks want all black gun clubs, that's fine. Nothing wrong with in -group preference. Same goes for anyone else. As it stands now, I doubt any gun club currently in existence would deny membership to law abiding black people soley based on their race. However,there are stigmas attached to everyone and everything, so most (lawful) black gun owners seem to stick to pay as you go public ranges rather than joining actual clubs. Just kinda the way it is and nobody is up in arms about it.
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It is just about being comfortable. I personally wouldnt want to join a segregated club but can understand it.
Some people are racist. And when i was looking for a club i looked at pictures and visited clubs, I avoided clubs that were mostly older white men. Ball park it at age 50+
Sorry to say but times i feel i had been racially discriminated against or got a weird racial vibe were mostly from older white males.
Same could be said for females. A female may not want to join a mostly male gun club and would rather go to an all ladies club.
I am sure there are white only clubs around, they just may not be openly white only.
Some people are racist. And when i was looking for a club i looked at pictures and visited clubs, I avoided clubs that were mostly older white men. Ball park it at age 50+
Sorry to say but times i feel i had been racially discriminated against or got a weird racial vibe were mostly from older white males.
Same could be said for females. A female may not want to join a mostly male gun club and would rather go to an all ladies club.
I am sure there are white only clubs around, they just may not be openly white only.
namedpipes
NES Member
If you're only feeling that vibe from older white males, then you might consider looking inward at least a little. It seems odd that just one, narrow demographic doesn't like whatever your demographic is.
71montess
NES Member
Jesus, are you for real ?
MachineHead
NES Member
You can only feel inferior if you feel someone else is superior.
Solution: don’t ever feel inferior.
Solution: don’t ever feel inferior.
That's odd to me, See people of all colors at my current club, as well as the club I belonged to when I lived in Oklahoma. I also shoot USPSA and don't recall ever not seeing a decent representation of several nationalities at a match. I'd think I might have showed up to the wrong place if I was going to shoot a match and it was nothing but white people. I have to admit, when I was in my shotgunnin days in OK, it was majority older white dudes. I did regularly shoot trap with a kid about my age from the Philippines, but we were the only younglings at the club I shot at.
MisterHappy
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Have any of the instructors out there considered offering a free MA compliant class to minorities? More minorities with licenses mean more minorities against more gun control. Would make for an interesting reaction from the left, both because their picture of gun owners as racists would be shattered and they would now be oppressing the oppressed people they claim to fight for.
Even if the participants only take the class to learn some safety and the reality of gun ownership in MA, it would be good for the cause.
Hmm, I wonder if I could reserve some space for a community firearms safety event in the Memorial building. I know they let the Brady Campaign hold an event there. Any interested instructors? (so much for my political capital in town...I mean city
Well, I don't know about NRA courses for free, but I will say that we get a nice, diverse, group at Hunter Ed courses. All the people want to hunt, and, mostly, have guns.
Remember, it costs the instructors money, to put on a course.
Well so far no instructor has expressed any interest so I have no idea what the actual out of pocket costs are, but I suppose we could come up with some way to cover it. There might also be a rental fee, but I can work on that end. Personally, I'd be spending any political capital I may have by promoting this, and yes I would be hearing about it from every side including family and others involved in municipal government...for the rest of my life.
And sure it would be better if an organization such as GOAL was willing to help out, but if they wanted to we'd have to keep their role limited and downplayed in any promotion. Remember the goal is teaching gun safety and the reality of MA laws to a traditionally uninterested group, and get more people involved in the shooting sports and gun ownership.
Bmcl322
NES Member
When you look at the expected % of minorities in the US over the next 50 years, it is an absolute necessity to our collective 2A survival, to be fully welcoming into our 2A brotherhood/Sisterhood!! God Bless all 2A members!!
MisterHappy
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IIRC the course material are about $50/person. If you do a shootin' class, add ammo ($5 minimum). Even with a free venue, you still have "burned" a day of your time.
Not saying it's not worth it, but it is a substantial cost.
At the risk of sounding Darwinist, and insensitive, people that want a gun, will find a class.
Better to let your co-workers and friends know that you'll take them shooting.
Not saying it's not worth it, but it is a substantial cost.
At the risk of sounding Darwinist, and insensitive, people that want a gun, will find a class.
Better to let your co-workers and friends know that you'll take them shooting.
amm5061
NES Member
What the hell kind of materials are you handing out that cost $50/person? I'm pretty sure the PowerPoint printout packet and certificate I got when I took mine cost significantly less than $50. 20 rounds of .22LR certainly doesn't add much to that cost, either.
Granted the guns we handled cost money, but I don't think you can really count those.
MisterHappy
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My estimate was high (I don't lead the course, just help) - it's 10-15 bucks for the basic materials (plus shipping - instructors know how that adds up ![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
), according to the NRA site.
At the course my Club runs, it's 50 + rounds of .22, plus a variable amount of center-fire, and others (like Len) burn more ammo.
), according to the NRA site.At the course my Club runs, it's 50 + rounds of .22, plus a variable amount of center-fire, and others (like Len) burn more ammo.
$50 out of pocket to the instructor for the MA state course?
If I can make the effort, so can others.
Thought I was clear, but maybe not. This would not be a shooting course.
The idea is to actively educate minority groups, and we might get some new shooters. It's outreach, pure and simple. Teaching safety and the reality of MA gun laws to those that are not necessarily interested in gun ownership is a lot easier if they aren't jumping at the loud noise at a range. Making the idea of guns "familiar" to non-shooters (like it used to be) will help.
It's all academic, there doesn't appear to be any interest.
This isn't really a bad thing and I wouldn't call it segregation. Clubs like this might be focused on catering to a certain demographic, but catering to one group and excluding others are two different things. I don't they'd turn away my lily-white ass if I wanted to join. Look at Black Guns Matter. It's a great way to get people to the table that wouldn't necessarily get there on their own. I can tell you from experience, that once they're at the table we're all eating the same dog food.
I'm generally for anything that brings more people together, especially if it's about guns, the Second Amendment, or other rights. If clubs that cater to specific demographics help that process along, great. We're all eating out of the same bowl at the end.
I'm generally for anything that brings more people together, especially if it's about guns, the Second Amendment, or other rights. If clubs that cater to specific demographics help that process along, great. We're all eating out of the same bowl at the end.
MisterHappy
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Not to get into a go-round, but I see the attraction of gun course to a Non is the chance to shoot.
42!: I'll say this - since you're local - I'll be happy to give a course/lecture/seminar on the basics of firearm safety and Mass. gun laws, gratis, if you can get a venue, and some people willing to listen.
But...I've reached out to the local news people to come to the Hunter Ed and Basic Pistol courses I've been involved with, and had minimal response... Generally, it's "Can we get pictures of people shooting?"
42!: I'll say this - since you're local - I'll be happy to give a course/lecture/seminar on the basics of firearm safety and Mass. gun laws, gratis, if you can get a venue, and some people willing to listen.
But...I've reached out to the local news people to come to the Hunter Ed and Basic Pistol courses I've been involved with, and had minimal response... Generally, it's "Can we get pictures of people shooting?"
amm5061
NES Member
Pretty much, yeah.
A class with a MSP BFS Cert at the end? Without shooting, some PDs will refuse to accept those certs.
In addition to materials, ammo and targets, I pay $20/student to my gun club for use of the facilities. Also guns need maintenance and break, all those costs are on the instructor. It wasn't a class but at an NES shoot I gave one of my older S&W guns to a friend to shoot. The safety (rotary lever) sheared into two pieces. It wasn't her fault, but it cost me ~$90 for S&W to fix the gun (older than their lifetime warranty covers). A friend who was running 3-4 classes/week was constantly having .22LR pistols repaired at considerable expense.
If you just want a friendly orientation with no MSP BFS Cert issued, that's another story and can be done for cheap.
Hmm, this is starting to get interesting. Getting a group together isn't too much of a problem if I'm not specifically looking for minorities. The audience might be a little disagreeable but as long as we stayed with safety and the laws as they stand, and some basic facts, it should go well. Basically stay away from the lib "we need to do more" BS.
I'll put out a couple feelers.
Dorchester pretty much sums it up right there... location.
Want to see a more diverse membership and get minorities interested in shooting sports, and firearms in general, one needs to
have more available facilities closer to home for them (as if that will really happen).
Even my Irish/Polish white ass wouldn't want to join a club if it was more than 45 minutes away without traffic.
A while back I read an article about how there was a movement (I think it was in the 70's) where a lot of blacks were encouraging other blacks to ditch their guns to hopefully reduce inner city violence. It was successful and there was a long period of time where legal gun ownership among blacks was way down but now it's swinging back the other way. I think black-owned gun shop, gun ranges are a good thing as long as they're welcoming to everyone.
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