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minorities and LTCs

greencobra

greencobra

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We had a recent post regarding minorities and gun ownership but I wanted to start a new topic. Let me explain a little, I have 2 good friends in work who approached me to find out how to start the process to apply for their LTC. One is Latin, the other African American. They think they'll be given a hard time and ultimately be denied because of their ethnicity . I try to encourage them and deny their concerns but in my heart I think they might be right. You know guys/ladies, in 45 years of shooting, really, I've only known 3 African Americans with licenses, maybe a few more Spanish people. I just thought I'd ask and see what your thoughts were, and if you happen to be a non-white shooter/license holder, did you feel any ill will as you went through the application process. No disrespect intended, an honest concern and post.
 
I think it comes down to the media-driven bias that has long portrayed legal gun ownership as the domain of old Christian white guys. The reality is that, for example, for a century after the civil war African Americans loved their guns because that was their last line of defense against the still-racist South.

Personally, I've long been puzzled by the gun owner demographics. It would seem to me that any group that has been or is being persecuted would be more likely to own firearms - blacks, Hispanics, Jews, women, LGBTs (can I express that in plural form like that?), etc.

I remember reading an interview with Chris Cheng, the Asian gay dude that won Top Shot, where he said that for a while he was puzzled that they didn't even hint at his sexuality during the show. When he finally asked the staff about it, they shrugged and basically said "it has nothing to do with how well you shoot, so who cares?" Gun owners are seriously the friendliest people I've ever come across (I must not have met a lot of NES-ers [wink]) so I have no doubt that your friends/coworkers would be more than welcome at any range/club.

Just my 2c
 
I'm black I got mines in Raynham and it was smooth as ever didn't feel I was treated any other because of my race . Went in talked about movies and restaurants and they did my finger prints and I was done
 
I'm spanish and got mine in Lowell but most people mistake me for a white guy, so I didn't think the way I looked would be an issue. However my name is a VERY spanish and I won't lie for a second I thought it might jam me up. But then I thought name or not I am a one of the good decent ones and it should show in any background check they do. And I was right it was a smooth but LONG wait.
 
Wicked1911 said:
I'm spanish and got mine in Lowell but most people mistake me for a white guy, so I didn't think the way I looked would be an issue. However my name is a VERY spanish and I won't lie for a second I thought it might jam me up. But then I thought name or not I am a one of the good decent ones and it should show in any background check they do. And I was right it was a smooth but LONG wait.
Click to expand...

Did you get restricted ?

I mean this in a good way , but I know a lot of white people with clean records who got restricted in Lowell .
Maybe being not white they give out unrestricted so they don't seen racist ?
 
Lowell will not issue an unrestricted LTC and it has nothing to do with race. I'm Asian living in lowell and i got a restricted LTC.

Correction: they will only issue unrestricted if you are a LEO, business owner or a victim of multiple violent crimes. This is what the Licensing officer told me when I asked how I can obtain an unrestricted ltc.
 
Last edited:
I'm half black, half white, and half Cherokee, fortunately not man bear pig. When I was still living in Mass the Sergent explicitly told me it was none of his business what my race was but it was required on the application form. He then went on to say he just makes them up. I was white.
 
warwickben said:
Did you get restricted ?

I mean this in a good way , but I know a lot of white people with clean records who got restricted in Lowell .
Maybe being not white they give out unrestricted so they don't seen racist ?
Click to expand...

I got Sporting/Employment restriction and my wife who looks spanish got Sporting. But like millcitysux said the IO told us the same thing about not issuing ALP.
 
You know guys/ladies, in 45 years of shooting, really, I've only known 3 African Americans with licenses, maybe a few more Spanish people.
Click to expand...

Maybe you're subconsciously a closet racist?

I kid.


I think it has a lot more to do with the red/green town thing, and your history with law enforcement.
 
A new younger guy at my club is a minority and mentioned he grew up in a not so nice part of worcester. Never thought gemme would give him an ltc alp. But he got it, and hes very enthusiastic and is trying to get his friends to get theirs.

It was nice to talk to him he had all sorts of questions. I pointed him in the direction of NES, GOAL and comm 2a.

Honestly the more lawful gun owners in ma the better. Dont care what color they are.....the faster the gun owners group gets away from being categorized as the old white guys group.....the better it is for us to shut the media bias down


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
millcitysux said:
Lowell will not issue an unrestricted LTC and it has nothing to do with race. I'm Asian living in lowell and i got a restricted LTC.

Correction: they will only issue unrestricted if you are a LEO, business owner or a victim of multiple violent crimes. This is what the Licensing officer told me when I asked how I can obtain an unrestricted ltc.
Click to expand...

My brother moved to Lowell within a year of getting his ltc. With the new rules of denying/restricting and his government clearance he hopes he gets restricted so he can be a test case. But he won't be renewing for a few more years .
 
I'm Latin and got my LTC unrestricted in Quincy with no problem. Everyone was real nice to me and process went real smooth. Growing up in Boston I've heard of urban myths of police giving people a hard time or straight up denying a license bc of race or where you come from. I also know a few black and Latinos in Boston with a LTC restricted of course and they said Boston PD was very professional with them. Most Latin and black in Boston with guns own it illegally. They don't give a shit about gun laws.
 
greencobra said:
We had a recent post regarding minorities and gun ownership but I wanted to start a new topic. Let me explain a little, I have 2 good friends in work who approached me to find out how to start the process to apply for their LTC. One is Latin, the other African American. They think they'll be given a hard time and ultimately be denied because of their ethnicity . I try to encourage them and deny their concerns but in my heart I think they might be right. You know guys/ladies, in 45 years of shooting, really, I've only known 3 African Americans with licenses, maybe a few more Spanish people. I just thought I'd ask and see what your thoughts were, and if you happen to be a non-white shooter/license holder, did you feel any ill will as you went through the application process. No disrespect intended, an honest concern and post.
Click to expand...
My only concern is that the media propaganda works and people think only white bible belter people are gun owners. I wish that more minorities would embrace gun ownership for its base of freedoms instead of fearing it for the media frenzy that is our mass media machine. Unfortunately the .gov and media have told minorities it is the guns fault that there is crime in the streets(even though the government grows supports and fosters the conditions for that crime to thrive). What the people in the poor minority sections of states need to realize is that those guns they are told are icky are actually what could give them freedom and independence.
 
I'm black from the waist down, but I got an unrestricted.

In all seriousness though, my neighbor is black and his wife is hispanic. They want licenses, but are terrified to apply for fear of being denied. Green city with Looong waits. It amazes me how minorities are kept down like this, since I'm a white privileged male. Racism, even when there isn't any, keeps minorities down because of the fear it instills.
 
I showed this thread to one of the guys at coffee and he said the responses lessened his concerns quite a bit. A good thing.
 
I'm a pocket-picking immigrant jerk and .gov issued me an LTC-A.....how's that for "suitability".[smile]
 
I'm a Caucasian between the ages of 40 and 50 - I am a minority with no lobby group to protect me - ask a divorced male that pays child support - or a recently "reduction in force" guy that has to file for unemployment - or fill out a form and check the box for preferential treatment that says "old white guy" - Oh, I'm hetero so no "life partner" benefits either - I could go on but the point is moot...

So when the term "minority" gets used I get a little cynical - now if you used the adjective relative to pay scales I may have contributed something substantial.

Excuse me while I go "Turn my life around" somehow.
 
Hope your feeling better today Mr Sprocket.[laugh]

If anyone is following at home.....one of my buddies went down this morning to apply for a LTC. Has to do the class, they gave him a couple of suggestions for it and phone numbers. OK, he's on his way here. If anyone is curious, he lives in Leominster which shows green on the list here. Hopefully all will go well from here.
 
I'm latin and had no issue getting unrestricted LTC. I go for renewal this winter and am not worried at all. I think it has more to do with where you live and how you present yourself. I do know quite a few younger people who are latin or black that want to get into shooting, but are scared they will be denied.
 
nickortizzle1035 said:
I do know quite a few younger people who are latin or black that want to get into shooting, but are scared they will be denied.
Click to expand...
Yeah, exactly. Someone posted in this thread yesterday it may be because of media perception. Myself, never gave it a thought until these two guys started talking about it in work. Hopefully, this guy in Leominster will have no problem.
 
greencobra said:
Yeah, exactly. Someone posted in this thread yesterday it may be because of media perception. Myself, never gave it a thought until these two guys started talking about it in work. Hopefully, this guy in Leominster will have no problem.
Click to expand...

I think it is generally an unspoken belief among minorities "especially latinos and blacks" that law enforcement has it out for them. I personally don't harbor those feelings, even after having a couple run-ins with cops who were having a crappy day or something...
 
Today, if a white person went to their LTC interview dressed like Eminem dressed in the 90s and 00s, would they be rejected?
 
nickortizzle1035 said:
I think it is generally an unspoken belief among minorities "especially latinos and blacks" that law enforcement has it out for them. I personally don't harbor those feelings, even after having a couple run-ins with cops who were having a crappy day or something...
Click to expand...

Happens to us white people too .
I had the crap beaten out of me by a cop cause he thought I was on drugs. I wasn't just having a hemiplegic migraine.
 

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