Category Archives: Second Amendment

The man who called gunmen to gather on the streets of Kenosha Tuesday night culminating in the deaths of two people and an injury to a third says he did so to keep the city safe. Despite the deaths, he believes they made it safer.

Kevin Mathewson is a former Kenosha alder who in June created a Facebook page called Kenosha Guard Armed Citizens to Protect our Lives and Property. On Tuesday, he posted a call to arms as a page event.

Any patriots willing to take up arms and defend out [sic] City tonight from the evil thugs? Nondoubt [sic] they are currently planning on the next part of the City to burn tonight!

In a subsequent public post, under the identity of the page, Mathewson addressed Kenoshas police chief, Daniel Miskinis:

Chief Miskinis, As you know I am the commander of the Kenosha Guard, a local militia. We are mobilizing tonight and have about 3,000 RSVPs. We have volunteers that will be in Uptown, downtown and at the entrances to other neighborhoods.

Despite characterizations in those posts and elsewhere, as Mathewson described the Kenosha Guard in an interview with the Wisconsin Examiner, it is little more than a Facebook group with an indeterminate number of self-appointed members.

I started the page, I am the admin of the page, but its a very loose organization. You know, theres no meetings, theres no bylaws the Second Amendment and individual freedom, Mathewson said.

Mathewson said he has never met Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old from Antioch, Ill., who was arrested Wednesday in connection with the shooting deaths of two people Tuesday night in downtown Kenosha and the hospitalization of a third. In the interview, Mathewson was quick to distance himself from the suspect.

He was a child that had no business carrying a gun, so I wonder who condoned him leaving another state to come here carrying a gun without questioning that, Mathewson said.

With regard to the shootings themselves, he said, I dont want to take the position if what he did was self defense or not, because we dont have all the facts. But state laws are very clear: You have to be 18 to possess a long gun and 21 to possess a pistol.

I dont know him, hes not affiliated in any way with me or my Facebook page that I know of. Never met the guy, he continued, calling it always a tragedy when anybody loses their lives, even if its in self-defense.

Authorities have not tied Rittenhouse to a specific militia group, and its not clear whether he came to Kenosha Tuesday because of the Kenosha Guards post, although it drew widespread attention.

Our effort has made national media, stated the post addressed to the Kenosha police chief, linking to the extremist rightwing website InfoWars.

Mathewson is a freelance private detective who works for area lawyers and has a wedding photography business. He was often outspoken and controversial in his two non-consecutive terms on the citys common council. He resigned his seat in 2017 after moving out of the city to the adjacent community of Somers.

Hes always liked controversy, and if theres any controversy to be found, he will find it, said Ald. Jan Michalski, who is still on the council and was a member during Mathewsons time in office. Michalski described him as someone who would pick fights. But he said he was not aware of Mathewsons association with the Kenosha Guard page, adding that he doesnt engage with social media.

Mathewson said the Facebook page is very loose, very loose the page is open to anybody, anybody could like the page, anybody can see all the comments, anybody can comment. So theres not like an application process or approval process. So technically anybody could claim theyre a member.

Mathewson, however, said he is the only one who controls the page itself and the only one who can, and did, issue a call to arms.

Later in the interview he returned to that question. Theres really not my group, right? he said. I cant give a list, Heres members of the Kenosha Guard. So, the Kenosha Guard is basically me sending a message that we need to take control of our city. So, technically, theres no members.

As of Wednesday, the Kenosha Guard Facebook page had been taken down, but another Mathewson Facebook page, associated with his former role as a Kenosha alder, includes videos and commentary also referring to unrest in Kenosha and pictures of Mathewson and others with weapons, guarding a residential area.

Theres no way to really know how many people came downtown with guns Tuesday night, said Mathewson. He was downtown early in the evening before dark, when there were at least 30 to 50 of us.

Mathewson started the page in June, when we had businesses being destroyed and looted for the George Floyd incident, he said. Although interest was slow initially, it took off, reaching 4,000 page followers.

Tuesdays event came together on the fly.

When he posted the event notice that same day, I think there were 6,000 that hit the interested button and over 1,000 that committed to going last I looked, Mathewson said. Other militia-style groups also were in Downtown Kenosha Tuesday night, he said, and some armed people have been there every night since Sunday, although he had not posted about the unrest before Tuesday.

Mathewson said he left downtown before dark and returned to his own residential neighborhood. I just kind of hung out at the entrance to my subdivision so I wasnt in the thick of things at night, he said.

Like him, others who responded to the event took up posts in groups outside area subdivisions around the city, he said: Were talking at least a few hundred that were outside, armed and trying to help the community.

It would be nice to have a well-regulated militia, he said, but we didnt have enough time to really prepare and organize just a general call to arms.

The message he sought to convey, he said, was Hey, are you a patriot? Do you want to defend our city, grab your gun, go outside, defend your neighborhood, your home, your store. Lets supplement the police because theyre outnumbered.

And thats why I think we were appreciated, Mathewson said, when some people on the street started throwing rocks, bricks and Molotov cocktails at the police. Those officers are scared and I think thats why were welcomed so warmly Giving us water, telling us thank you.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said he had been asked about deputizing armed civilians. Beth did not state what group or individuals had specifically made the request, but said that he opposed the idea.

Once I deputize somebody they fall under the constitution of the state of Wisconsin. They fall under the county of Kenosha, they fall under my guidance, they have to follow my policy, they have to follow my supervisors, Beth said. They are a liability to me, and the county and the state of Wisconsin.

If the person who fired the fatal shots had been deputized, he said, that would have been, in reality [a] deputy sheriff who killed two people, Beth said. And the liability that goes with that would have been immense. Theres no way that I would have deputized people.

In his interview, Mathewson who has clashed with Beth over the departments handling of deputy misconduct allegations criticized the sheriffs rejection of deputizing armed civilians, although he also acknowledged that you cant just go around deputizing people because youve got to vet somebody who has the time? But the conversation should have to happen.

Mathewson said he talks regularly with Miskinis, the Kenosha police chief, however.

He made the Kenosha Guard post on Tuesday that directly addressed Miskinis because I wanted to make at least that communication reaching out, he said. Maybe he had advice for us. Maybe he needed us in certain places.

There was no response, he said, and I dont blame him because theres probably liability issues. If he responds, people can say its condoning the militia.

Miskinis declined to directly answer questions at Wednesdays news conference about his departments officers interactions with militia members seen on videos that have circulated on social media.

Mathewson continued: But by definition, we dont need the governments permission. We dont need to be told we can do it. In fact, the Constitution tells us we can do it. And the Second Amendment was put in there for instances like this when were at war and under siege.

On both the now-defunct Kenosha Guard page and Mathewsons own public page, some who posted comments about the Tuesday night shooting deaths praised the gunman. Others, however, told Mathewson that he bore responsibility for the deaths. A MoveOn online petition is calling on authorities to charge Mathewson as an accessory to the killings.

Mathewson rejected the accusation.

Nobody is responsible for somebodys behavior except for that person, he told the Wisconsin Examiner. This was a child who had no business carrying a gun. To suggest that I in some way am responsible for the death simply because I asked my fellow countrymen to arm themselves and defend themselves against murdering, scumbag, criminal looters is preposterous. I had nothing to do with that. I did not inspire that.

Mathewson said that he believes the presence of dozens of armed people downtown Tuesday made the area definitely more safe.

Im trying to put myself in the shoes of a criminal who wants to burn a building down, Mathewson said. Id probably want to do it away from armed people probably want to do it somewhere where its just criminals, not citizens carrying weapons. Certainly if I was a criminal I would not want to attack somebody carrying a gun, thats for sure.

He rejected the suggestion that the two deaths Tuesday night, the first fatalities in three nights of unrest, contradict the idea that armed militia members made the city safer.

No were very fortunate that no one was killed on nights one or two Buildings were torched with apartments above, he said. And thats an inherent risk of loss of life right there.

He added: People who disagree with the Second Amendment, they dont realize that the fact that people can be armed in itself is a deterrent.

At the city-county news conference, however, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian offered a very different assessment.

No, I dont need more guns on the street in the community, when were trying to make sure that we keep people safe, Antaramian said. Law enforcement is trained, theyre the ones who are responsible. Theyre the ones we have faith will do their jobs to make sure it gets done. And it would be beneficial and helpful to everyone to realize that.

More here:
A 'call to arms' that filled Kenosha with combat weapons - Wisconsin Examiner

First lady Melania Trump closes the second night of the Republican National Convention with an address on opportunity in America, but also division. Associated Press

The second night of the Republican National Convention painted a picture of a compassionate White House in action. But it also showed the blurring of long-standing traditions, and maybe laws, about not mixing politics and government.

President Donald Trump pardoned a man who robbed a Nevada bank and now runs a nonprofit. Trump conducted a small naturalization ceremony inside the White House. Mike Pompeo broke from previous secretaries of state by not only giving a convention address, but doing so from Jerusalem.

First lady Melania Trump wrapped up the night with a speech from the renovated Rose Garden, telling a largely unmasked audience seated on the lawn that her husbands administration has been relentless in its effort to find a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19.

"Donald will not rest until he has done all he can to take care of everyone impacted by this terrible pandemic," she said.

Before ending her address, she alluded to her husbands brash reputation. "Total honesty is what we as citizens deserve from our president," she said. "Whether you like it or not, you always know what he's thinking."

Her speech didnt leave much work for fact-checkers, but other remarks from the presidents adult children, a former impeachment lawyer and his economic adviser did.

Experts also hadplenty to sayabout top administration officials possibly violating the Hatch Act, a 1939 law that limits government officials from mixing political activities with their official duties.

Heres what we fact-checked from the RNCs second night.

Eric Trump, son of U.S. President Donald Trump, pre-records his address to the Republican National Convention at the Mellon Auditorium on August 25, 2020 in Washington, DC. 603791(Photo: Drew Angerer, Getty Images)

"Biden has pledged to defund the police and take away your cherished Second Amendment."

Both claims areFalse.

Biden has directlysaidhe does not support defunding the police. He said that abuse of power in police departments must stop and reforms are needed. But hes said police departments should be given the money they need to institute changes. Biden proposed an additional $300 million for community policing.

Bidensplan to end gun violencecalls for banning the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and for the regulation of existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act. His plan also calls for a buy back of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But it does not say the Second Amendment should be revoked. "Its within our grasp to end our gun violence epidemic and respect the Second Amendment, which is limited," his plan says.

In a heated exchange with an auto worker in Detroit in March, Bidenrejectedthe idea that he supported taking guns away from people.

"Biden has pledged to stop border wall construction and give amnesty and health care to all illegal immigrants."

Some elements of this claim are true but need clarification.

Biden hassaid"there will not be another foot of wall constructed" if he is elected president. "I'm going to make sure that we have border protection, but it's going to be based on making sure that we use high-tech capacity to deal with it and at the ports of entry," Biden said during aninterviewaired Aug. 6.

Bidensayshe supports a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living illegally in the country; they would have to have paid taxes and pass a background check. Some argue any path is a form of amnesty. Thecommon reference for amnestyin modern U.S. politics is the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, signed by President Ronald Reagan. The law paved the way for immigrants who were in the country illegally to become lawful permanent residents if they met certain requirements, including being in the country by Jan. 1, 1982.

Biden hassaidthat people should have access to health care, regardless of immigration status; he has not said it should be free. A task force comprised of appointees of Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.recommendedthat Biden extend Affordable Care Act coverage to immigrants illegally in the country who are protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It recommended allowing additional immigrants illegally in the country to also buy health insurance, without financial assistance from the government.

"My father on the other hand, delivered the largest tax cuts in American history."

False.Several billssince 1980 were larger than the2017 tax bill, measured not only by contemporary dollars but also by inflation-adjusted dollars and as a percentage of gross domestic product, which is a measure of the size of the overall economy. In inflation-adjusted dollars, the recent tax bill is the fourth-largest since 1940. And as a percentage of GDP, it ranks seventh.Weve summarized the tax laws here.

"A corrupt Ukrainian oligarch put Hunter on the board of his gas company, even though he had no experience in Ukraine or in the energy sector. None. Yet he was paid millions to do nothing."

Bondi has a point that Hunter hadno experience in Ukraine or the energy sector.

Despite the lack of expertise, he joined the board of Burisma beginning in 2014 when his father as vice president was publicly representing U.S. policy on the country, which had become the center of a tug-of-war between Russia and the West.

Most of thecriticismwevefoundfocused on the conflict of interest Hunter Biden created by accepting the position. We foundno evidenceto suggest Joe Biden did anything wrong or inappropriate in his official capacity as vice president.

Hunter Bidens work attracted attention at the time. Theoligarch behind the firm, Mykola Zlochevsky, faced investigations for money laundering and tax evasion. (Zlochevsky and the company have denied the allegations.)

Staff at the State Department said they expressed concerns in 2015 when Hunter Biden started serving on the board of Burisma.

The details of what Hunter did have been mysterious.Reuters, using unnamed sources, reported that Hunter weighed in during scheduled meetings but did little of substance. The report suggests he was compensated for contributing his high-profile name.

Exactly how much Hunter Biden was paid remains unclear. As a director, Biden made up to $50,000 per month some months,according tothe New York Times. He left Burisma in spring 2019, around the time that the elder Biden announced his 2020 presidential run.

In 2019, the Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives launched animpeachment inquiryinto Trump for withholding aid to Ukraine while asking the government there to look into the Bidens activities.

Wefound no evidencethat Hunter Biden himself was investigated by Ukrainian or American authorities for his role as a board member of Burisma.

Read more of our fact-checking of Bondi's case against the Bidensin this story.

Tiffany Trump speaks during the Republican National Convention at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.(Photo: Republican National Convention)

"And if you believe in expanding quality and affordable healthcare, only President Trump, my father, signed Right to Try into law, the favored nations clause, and other actions to lower drug prices and keep Americans from getting ripped off."

This is somewhat misleading. TheRight to Try lawthat Trump signed in 2018 law allows individuals who have life threatening conditions, have tried all approved treatment options and cannot participate in clinical trials to access unapproved treatments. It did not, however, lower drug prices.

Trump also signed anexecutive orderon July 24, that both hehas referenced as the "favored nations clause." But it has not been put into action. Nor has the text of this executive order been made public, so the details of how it would be executed are unclear. The idea of the "favored nations" proposal is that the U.S. would pay similar prices as European countries do for some Medicare Part B physician-administered drugs. This proposal has been strongly opposed by drugmakers andexperts told usthey were skeptical that it would actually be implemented.

While Trump has long talked about lowering drug prices as one of his top health care goals, he has made little progress in doing so, outside of issuing several executive orders that have yet to be enacted.

Says Joe Biden "voted for the Iraq War He supported war in Serbia, Syria, Libya."

This isMostly True.

Biden as a senator voted for resolutions that supported interventions in Iraq and Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).

As vice president, Biden publicly followed the policies of the Obama administration, which included interventions in Syria and Libya. Bidens campaign pointed to 2016 reporting that said Biden within the White House argued against intervention in Libya.

President Donald Trump inherited "a stagnant economy" and then "rebuilt" it.

The idea that Trump inherited a weak economy from President Barack Obama and turned it into a strong one isFalse and that was before COVID-19 through the country back into a recession. In the big picture, Obama inherited the most severe recession in decades. Trump inherited a slow but steady recovery several years in the making.

For instance, for unemployment rates and median weeks of unemployment, the declines under Obama were at least as fast if not faster than they were under Trump, pre-coronavirus. That holds for several racial and ethnic groups as well as women. The pattern of monthly job gains was also similar under both Obama and Trump.

Inflation-adjusted wages fell for much of Obamas first term, but they began rising again during his second term. Their path under Trump has been rising on much the same trajectory.

The poverty rate and food stamp use declined under Trump, but those declines began during Obamas final years in office. The big declines in foreclosures, bankruptcies and bank failures occurred under Obama, with marginal advances under Trump. Even the stock market, which Trump often notes has risen to record highs on his watch, rose at roughly similar rates under both presidents.

Its important to remember that no president has total control over the factors affecting the economy.

The pandemic "was awful. Health and economic impacts were tragic. Hardship and heartbreak were everywhere. But presidential leadership came swiftly and effectively, with an extraordinary rescue for health and safety to successfully fight the coronavirus."

To hear chief White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow say it, the pandemic is in the rearview mirror. There are states, such as Texas and Florida, where a deadly surge has eased. Nationally, however, the death toll continues to climb.

Data from theCovid Tracking Projectshow deaths topping 170,000. And the recent rise in deaths is only slightly less compared with the early months of the pandemic.

TheInstitute for Health Metrics and Evaluationat the University of Washington estimates that the number of deaths will exceed 300,000 by Dec. 1. That would be nearly double the deaths seen so far.

Kudlow offered an optimistic picture of the economic recovery and the growth to come, telling Americans to expect 20% growth in a "V-shaped recovery" in the second half of the year.

But much hinges on the course of the virus. Current trends show an ongoing threat to the prosperity Kudlow described.

"Margaret Sanger was a racist who believed in eugenics. Her goal when founding Planned Parenthood was to eradicate minorities."

This statementis misleading.Sanger has been routinely criticized for supporting eugenics the belief of improving the population by controlled breeding for desirable characteristics. But historians and scholars who have studied Sangers life say her opinions concerned public health, and were not specific to race.

The basic concept that humanity could be improved by selective breeding was firmly held belief for many in the years before World War II. Winston Churchill, Herbert Hoover, Theodore Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw and H. G. Wells all supported the eugenics movement. The philosophy fell out of favor afterNazis adopted eugenicsto support exterminating non-Aryan races.

Still, Planned Parenthoodrecently announcedthat it would remove Sangers name from its Manhattan Health Center over her eugenics beliefs, and there issome disagreementabout her views and whether they should be reevaluated amid protests against systemic racism and a pandemic that has disproportionately affected minorities.

Sanger was a birth control activist, which means that she wanted women to be able to avoid unwanted pregnancies. The historical record shows she worked for women of all classes and races to have that choice.

Those who call Sanger a racist often cite her work on what was called the Negro Project, an effort that started in 1939 that brought birth control services (but not abortion) to Black communities in the south. Black leaders such as W.E.B. DuBois and Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of the National Council of Negro Women, were members of its advisory council.

Louis Jacobson, Amy Sherman, Samantha Putterman, Jon Greenberg, Miriam Valverde and Kaiser Health News reporter Victoria Knight contributed to this report. Photos by the Associated Press.

Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/08/26/rnc-2020-fact-check/3441820001/

Originally posted here:
Republican National Convention 2020: Fact-checking the second night - Detroit Free Press

CORUNNA Shiawassee County moved one step closer to becoming a Second Amendment sanctuary county Wednesday as commissioners voted 6-1 to advance a resolution affirming residents right to bear arms to todays full board meeting, set for 5 p.m. inside the Surbeck Building, 201 N. Shiawassee St.

Commissioner Marlene Webster, R-District 1, voted against the move during the panels Committee of the Whole meeting Wednesday, citing troublesome language in the resolution that supports both the Shiawassee County Sheriff (Brian BeGole) and the Shiawassee County Prosecuting Attorney (Scott Koerner) in the exercise of their sound discretion to enforce any and all constitutional firearm laws.

I strongly support Second Amendment rights and the Constitution, and Im sure there are laws out there that are violating Second Amendment rights, but I think more core to the Constitution than the Second Amendment is the balance of power, Webster said. We have a system for appealing unconstitutional laws, and if theres a law thats unconstitutional, it has to go through the court system to be deemed so. I feel like giving that authority to local law enforcement puts an additional burden on them and frankly violates the Constitution.

The Second Amendment sanctuary movement which seeks to stop new gun laws is led locally by Byron resident Anthony Tolbert, who serves as chairman of the Shiawassee County chapter of Michigan for 2A Sanctuary Counties, a Facebook group.

Tolbert said the formation of the group, as well as the push for Shiawassee County to become a Second Amendment sanctuary, was sparked by actions to limit Second Amendment rights in Virginia.

In April, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam approved a red flag law that allows law enforcement to temporarily seize firearms from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others. As the legislation worked its way toward passage, a widespread pro-gun movement ignited throughout the state and subsequently the nation, as various localities made vows not to enforce what some officials in those areas perceived to be unconstitutional gun laws.

Tolbert initially approached the Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners with the resolution to become a sanctuary county in January. To date, he has collected more than 700 signatures from county residents in support of the resolution, he said.

While our liberal and progressive friends in this county assure us that our Second Amendment rights are not going anywhere, we can simply point to their mainstream politics to know this is simply not true if they were to get their wish, Tolbert said during the public comment portion of Wednesdays meeting. Our current governor and attorney general, as well as the (democratic) partys presidential candidates have called for things such as red flag laws, common sense gun laws, bans and outright confiscations. It is our intent to send a message to Lansing and anywhere else that may look to infringe on our God-given, constitutionally protected rights.

Commissioner Dan McMaster, R-District 2, spoke in support of the sanctuary resolution Wednesday, noting hes received several emails and phone calls from residents regarding the proposal since the topic was first discussed earlier this year. Further action on the resolution was delayed for several months due to COVID-19, he added.

I know my truth, McMaster said, and some of my constituents may disagree with this and thats their right, but by far the majority of the constituents in my district and this county support this (resolution). In my almost four years of public service, this will probably be the vote that I will be the most proud of, (the vote) I will remember the most.

Board Chairman Jeremy Root, R-District 5, also expressed support for Shiawassee County becoming a Second Amendment sanctuary, citing the 45 counties in Michigan that have already approved resolutions.

I dont think were out in left field, I dont think were radical, I mean, thats more than half the state, Root said.

I think the freedom to bear arms is one of the most important rights thats granted to us, Root continued. This simply just reaffirms that we trust in our sheriff, we trust in our prosecutor that they make sound discretion and that they enforce constitutional laws and will not enforce anything unconstitutional on any of our residents.

Webster said if the resolution simply stated the board supports the Second Amendment, she could support it.

When it says that we give discretion to the sheriff and the prosecutor to, and its worded differently in this new draft, but the intent, as Chairman Root just stated, is that they could use their discretion to not enforce laws that they believe are (unconstitutional), thats where I feel this document violates the Constitution, Webster said. If a law is unconstitutional, it has to be taken in litigation to the courts and appealed through the courts and determined by the Supreme Court whether or not it is a constitutional law.

See more here:
Shiawassee County board poised to approve Second Amendment resolution - Argus Press

Americans inhabit two vastly different social, cultural and geographic worlds. Unsurprisingly, this divide has helped create stunning levels of political polarization.

Two wedge issues, guns and abortion, fuel the extreme division gripping the country.

Drawing solely on the Constitution and the Bible, a radically centrist approach to these topics can bridge Americas vast social and cultural divide.

Guns:

Compared to our international peers, the United States suffers from an epidemic of gun violence. It is not uncommon for more than 100men, women and children to be shotin one American city over one weekend.

This is morally and ethically unacceptable.

The sheer number of guns in America enough for every man, woman and child (with 67 million left over) also has a deadly effect on policing. Cops are forced to assume that every citizen is armed, leading to far too many violent interactions with civilians.

Conservative interpretations of the Second Amendment hold that Americans have an individual right to own a gun. But America's Founding Fathers did not see things through such a narrow lens.

The original intent of the Second Amendment was to eliminate the need for a standing army. After years of abuses by the British military, the Founding Fathersviewed a full-time national army as a threat to freedom. Decentralized militias, they reasoned, could provide for the common defense without being subject to the whims of a tyrannical leader.

Hence the first 13 words of the Second Amendment: A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State...

In other words, the Founders did not view firearm ownership as an individual right, but rather through citizens participation in a state-based army.

Lets apply that reasoning to the present.

Decentralized state militias still exist today. National Guard units complete with colonial militia-themed logos report directly to governors, who can refuse deployment requests from the president.

A centrist and thoroughly constitutional approach would require gun owners to have some connection whether through firearms training, drill, community service or otherwise with their local National Guard unit.

In addition to promoting civic and community engagement, making gun ownership contingent upon affiliation with a Guard unit would weed out many of the criminals responsible for the 40 senseless murders that occur every day in America.

The same goes for mass shooters. Most hold extremist beliefs or suffer from severe mental illness. Such individuals are unlikely tovoluntarilyassociatewith a local Guard detachment, nor would they pass basic screening procedures.

Mandatory Guard affiliation for gun ownership could also stanch the epidemic of suicides by firearm well above 20,000 each year in the United States.

Moreover, some of the most ardent defenders of the Second Amendment enjoy playing military dress-up. If they are so attached to their firearms, why not take this soldierly infatuation a small step further? After all, that would put them squarely in line with the intent of the Founding Fathers that they revere.

Ultimately, an ugly gun-related irony is emerging. The sheer volume of high-powered firearms on the streets fuels the militarization of Americas police forces, posing an obvious threat to freedom and democracy.

But if cops can reasonably assume that American gun owners are trained and vetted by their local National Guard unit, police departments are far more likely to demilitarize and adopt less aggressive tactics.

Abortion:

Americans of all political stripes must acknowledge the complex moral and ethical nuances associated with abortion. But if we are to bridge the social and cultural rifts plaguing America, we must apply an objective, clear-eyed approach to this uniquely divisive topic.

Abortion was weaponized for political gain in the late 1970s. Before then, many evangelicals among todays most passionate opponents of abortion were pro-choice or ambivalent about the issue. As religious and ideological shifts go, this reversal is remarkable.

Evangelicals draw their beliefs partly from the Bible. But while the Bible enumerates a litany of laws and punishments in punctilious detail, the Old and New testaments are stunningly silent on abortion (a relatively common practice in the ancient world).

In fact, a close reading of the Bible finds that there is no biblical justification for opposition to abortion.

Lets unpack that.

The Bible states that Thou shall not murder. It also prescribes the death penalty for homicide. But, according to a Mosaic law found in the same book as the Ten Commandments causing a miscarriage is not a capital crime. Instead, a monetary fine must be paid. The clear implication, therefore, is that abortion is not tantamount to murder.

This is squarely in alignment with Jewish interpretations of the Old Testament. Since the Israelites (quite literally) wrote the book, Jewish law which holds that a fetus is not a person cannot be discounted.

American evangelicals made these same biblically-supported arguments only a few decades ago. In 1968, the movements Billy Graham-founded journal stated that God does not regard the fetus as a soul.

Moreover, according to the Bible, God causes the abortion of a fetus conceived through adultery. This, clearly, is in stark conflict with contemporary pro-life dogma.

Perhaps most importantly, the Bible provides a consistent message on the all-important question of when life begins.

The Book of Genesis states that man became a living being only after God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The Book of Job relates that the Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Revelation details how the dead arise after inhaling the breath of life from God. Similarly, God told Ezekiel, I will put breath in you, and you will come to life.

A strictly biblical view, therefore, is that life begins at a babys first breath.

As such, a politically centrist approach based entirely on the Bible would not permit most abortions past a certain stage of development of the fetuss lungs (or, perhaps, another organ).

Ultimately, a close, objective reading of the Bible and the Constitution uncovers reasonable, middle-of-the-road solutions to two of the most politically and culturally divisive issues in America.

It is long past time for the moderate majority to tune out the ideological extremists and engage their fellow citizens in the spirit of good faith and compromise.

Marik von Rennenkampff served as an analyst with the U.S. Department of States Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, as well as an Obama administration appointee at the U.S. Department of Defense. Follow him on Twitter @MvonRen.

View post:
Radically centrist solutions to America's two great wedge issues | TheHill - The Hill

As Facebook faces down a costly boycott campaign demanding the social network do more to combat hate speech, CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced plans to ban a wider category of hateful content in ads. Twitter, YouTube and Reddit have also taken additional steps to curtail online hate, removing several inflammatory accounts.

But as social networks refine their policies and update algorithms for detecting extremism, they overlook a major source of hateful content: gun talk.

As a researcher of online extremism, I examined the user policies of social networks and found that while each address textbook forms of hate speech, they give a pass to the widespread use of gun rhetoric that celebrates or promotes violence.

In fact, the word gun appears but once in Facebooks policy on Violence and incitement to bar the manipulation of images to include a gun to the head. And neither guns nor firearms are mentioned in Twitters policy on Glorifications of violence, or YouTubes guidelines on Violent or graphic content or within any of these networks rules on hate speech.

Gun references have become prevalent in social media dialogues involving the nationwide protests over racial injustice, police reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.

On Facebook, a group called White Lives Matter shared a post that reads, Dont allow yourself or your property to become a victim of violence. Pick up your weapon and defend yourself. Another user posted the picture of a handgun beneath the message, I never carried a weapon, never needed it, but I have changed my mind and will apply for what I deem necessary to handle things my way Tired of all these BLM idiots looters.

While nearly every social network works to identify and prohibit violent speech, gun groups have managed to evade censure. One such Facebook community gleefully taunts protesters with the prospect of retaliation by firearm. They share a meme of a stack of bullets surrounded by the caption, If you defund the police you should know, I dont own any rubber bullets.

[Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversations newsletter and get expert takes on todays news, every day.]

Twitter users have also exploited that networks lack of restrictions on gun talk. Hashtags like #GetYourGuns and #2ndAmendment appear in political statements made against the police and protesters alike. A recent video of a police officer punching a suspect behind the wheel is the subject of a tweet that promises in turn, We will take action into our hands. #getyourguns.

Another tweet citing #guns features the viral video of a Florida sheriff warning that the people of his county like guns and will be in their homes tonight with their guns loaded. He continues, And if you try to break into their homes to steal, to set fires, Im highly recommending they blow you back out of their house with their guns. The same video trends across TikTok and Facebook where one gun group concurs, I couldnt agree more!

These examples do not disseminate racial slurs or direct violence, but they do allow users to stoke hostilities in a way that is accepted by social networks. And the mixture of culture wars and gun talk can be a dangerous concoction, as made evident by the Instagram posts of the 19-year-old assailant who later killed 17 people at a Parkland, Florida, high school in 2018. The AR-15 that he used in that shooting was the frequent subject of his social media posts that accompanied rants about illegal immigrants, African Americans, the Jewish community and law enforcement.

The debate over online gun rhetoric is not new to Silicon Valley. In 2018, streaming services like Amazon, Google and Roku were the subject of a high-profile boycott campaign, led by anti-gun advocates. The campaign called upon streaming services to stop hosting the online channel of the National Rifle Association, NRATV, citing its frequent use of hateful rhetoric. One such video opens with scenes of an NRA spokesman in the midst of target practice as he unleashes a diatribe centering on riotous protesters and obstructionist politicians.

My study found that NRATV dedicated the overwhelming majority of its content to denouncing liberal groups, media and movements like the Womens March. Coupled with the gun lobbys core message that Americans should arm themselves, anti-gun groups felt NRATV was producing violence-inciting programming.

But companies like Roku felt the content had not violated their terms of service. The #DumpNRATV campaign ultimately lost steam, but found a form of success when NRATV was later forced to suspend its operation over financial issues. However, its videos still stream on YouTube and Twitter.

President Donald Trumps social media presence also looms heavily over the debate about social network policies regarding violent content. Even as the presidents social media accounts have, at times, featured acts of physical harm done to others, social networks have been reluctant to act. But that may be changing.

During the nationwide protests, President Trump recently tweeted, When the looting starts, the shooting starts. Twitter had evidently seen enough. The network placed a public notice on the tweet, replacing it with the message that it had violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence.

Still, gun and shooting references continue to proliferate across the contentious political exchanges on social networks. For companies like Facebook and Twitter, incorporating guns into their policies that prohibit hate and violence is a risky prospect. Restrictions on gun talk could open the door to a maelstrom of criticism from gun lobbies, politicians, and Second Amendment advocates. But short of taking that political risk, social networks will have to design new algorithms to interpret the true meaning of hashtags like #GetYourGuns and #Shoot2Kill.

Here is the original post:
Social networks aim to erase hate but miss the target on guns - The Conversation US

A student at Fordham University has been sanctioned by the school for a series of social media posts supporting conservative causes that university officials say violated its code of conduct.

Austin Tong, a senior, received a letter on Tuesday relaying the result of a student conduct hearing regarding two Instagram posts he made in recent weeks.

One of the posts shows Tong holding a rifle with a caption that read, "Don't tread on me." The other is a photo of retired St. Louis Police Capt. David Dorn, a veteran of the force killed during rioting in the city following the death of George Floyd. The caption on the post about Dorn read, "Ya'll are hypocrites."

In the post with the rifle, Tong included the hashtag: #198965, a reference to the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

In its judgment, Fordham said Tong violated two areas of the student conduct policy that he agreed to when he enrolled at the school, which prohibit threats, intimidation, and "bias and/or hate crimes."

Dean of Students Keith Eldredge admonished Tong for his posts, writing: It is reported that on June 3 and 4 and in the recent past you made several posts on social media related to the current racial issues in the country and political issues in China.

Tong was informed that as part of the sanctions leveled against him, he would not be permitted to represent the university in an official extracurricular capacity, and his access to on-campus facilities will be restricted, meaning he will need to take classes online. He will also be required to have meetings with university administration and pen a letter of apology.

For too long, students have simply accepted being silenced by their schools and leftist mobs, Tong told Young America's Foundation. I think this says that students of all backgrounds and beliefs need to rally together to protect everyones right to speak, because it will only get worse if we remain indifferent.

Tong told the organization he will consider taking legal action against the school if it doesn't rescind the sanctions.

More here:
Fordham sanctions student over posts about David Dorn, Second Amendment, and Tiananmen Square - Washington Examiner

The assembly approved an ordinance Tuesday night that reaffirms its support for Americans right to bear arms.

The ordinance repeats some of the language from the Second Amendment to the federal Constitution, which protects Americans rights to keep and bear arms. Sponsored by borough mayor Charlie Pierce and assembly members Jesse Bjorkman, Norm Blakeley and Kenn Carpenter, the main change in the ordinance is to declare the Kenai Peninsula Borough a Second Amendment Sanctuary. That term comes from a national political movement by gun advocates pushing local governments to pass laws saying they wont enforce state or federal gun laws, which gained significant attention in Virginia earlier this year.

Bjorkman said he wanted to see the ordinance passed as it was because of threats to the Second Amendment in the state. He didnt specifically list any legislation, but one introduced in 2019House Bill 62would implement a red flag law in Alaska, allowing courts to issue temporary protective orders allowing firearms to be removed from individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others.

"There are bills being filed that people would like to be passed that would remove a bit of due process, that would remove some peoples rights," he said. "Thats a fact. As people see their second amendment rights being threatened, they want to take action, and they want folks to take action at all levels of government."

Assembly member Hal Smalley and assembly president Kelly Cooper both offered amendments hedging some of the vague language, particularly on what a second amendment sanctuary is. Smalleys amendment was defeated, but Coopers ultimately passed, clarifying that the borough does not have police powers nor authority over the cities police departments nor authority to regulate firearms, and defining that the sanctuary means what is specifically outlined in the ordinance.

Smalley said hes a lifelong hunter and supports the second amendment, but is bound to anyway as a public servant.

"I do not believe and I do not see see where my second amendment rights are under any attack," he said. "Our oath of office requires us to support and defend the second amendment rights. Its required. The definition or the issue of a sanctuary city and looking at that which was sent out to us, we are not allowed to defy federal and state laws."

Cooper said she is a gun owner as well but didnt like the vagueness of the language, especially in line with the boroughs existing powersthe other examples of local governments that have passed these sanctuary laws have been cities and counties, many of which have their own police departments.

"I just think that its important that we and its responsible of us to clarify what our authority is," she said. "Yes, we do support the second amendment. No, we do not have that authority. We need to make sure people in our communities understand that so we do not have misuse or misrepresentation of the language that we pass. So I would ask for your support, and I would also ask that we encourage firearm safety training."

Written public comments were split, but the majority of comments given during the meeting Tuesday opposed the ordinance, with concerns about what would happen if the borough saw an increase in gun violence and wanted to take action. As a second-class borough, the Kenai Peninsula doesnt have police powers. A vote could change that, but voters have rejected the borough establishing police services before, such as in Nikiski in 2015.

The amended ordinance states that the assembly will oppose any laws that would unconstitutionally restrict gun ownership and, within its powers, wont use its resources to unlawfully restrict the ability to bear arms. The ordinance is uncodified, which means its not within the boroughs regular code of laws like planning, roads, et cetera.

Alaska actually already has a law that exempts certain firearms and accessories from federal legislationthe Alaska Firearms Freedom Act, signed by former governor Sean Parnell in 2010 and updated in 2013. That law states that any firearms or accessories manufactured in the state and that stay in the state are exempt from federal regulation.

Reach Elizabeth Earl at eearl@kdll.org.

Read more from the original source:
Assembly passes 2nd amendment 'sanctuary' ordinance - kdll.org

The Supreme Court has, at least for now, kicked the Second Amendment can a bit farther down the legal road. How much longer can this continue? (Dave Workman photo)

U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and Firearms Policy Foundation (FPF) announced the filing of an important amicus brief in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals case, Drummond v. Township of Robinson. The brief, joined by the Madison Society Foundation, is available online at FPCLegal.org.

The Greater Pittsburgh Gun Club (GPGC) started offering firearms sales and training on rural land outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania over 50 years ago. For many of those decades, Robinson Township has resolved to shut the club down. In the 1990s, Robinson Township brought a nuisance action against GPGC, but the court determined that GPGC was not a nuisance. Then, Robinson Township brought a licensing action against GPGC, but failed in court again. Now, Robinson Township has enacted an ordinance forbidding GPGC from operating for-profit, or from allowing center-fire rifle shooting on the propertybut only if it is operating as a gun club. The clubs owner, William Drummond, brought this action, alleging that the new ordinance violates the Second Amendment.

Too often people are bullied for engaging in constitutionally protected activity, so we filed this brief to explain why the court should step in and protect the exercise of Second Amendment rights, said FPC Director of Research and brief author, Joseph Greenlee. We are happy to help Mr. Drummond defend his rights and the rights of his clients against Robinson Townships relentless efforts to forcibly close his gun club.

Were hopeful that GPGC can soon get back to providing the public with goods and training protected by the Constitution, as it has for several decades, Greenlee concluded.

Background

About Firearms Policy Coalition

Firearms Policy Coalition (www.firearmspolicy.org) is a 501(c)4 grassroots nonprofit organization. FPCs mission is to protect and defend constitutional rightsespecially the right to keep and bear armsadvance individual liberty, and restore freedom.

About Firearms Policy Foundation

Firearms Policy Foundation (www.firearmsfoundation.org) is a grassroots 501(c)3 nonprofit public benefit organization. FPFs mission is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Peoples rights, privileges, and immunities deeply rooted in this Nations history and traditionespecially the inalienable, fundamental, and individual right to keep and bear arms.

Continue reading here:
Courts Must Treat the Second Amendment as a Real Right, Not a Second-Class Right - AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

Oh my goodness, here we go again! Local government, bowing to the big-money gun manufacturing lobby, is wasting time again recognizing the second amendment to the United States Constitution, when in reality, they are shirking their duty to abide by the Constitution and serve the people in a time of crisis.

Floyd County Commissioner Tim Kamer is the latest locally elected politician to act as a puppet on a string to gun corporation-induced hysteria. In the latest resolution handed to the commissioners, the gun lobby wants them to kneel before the thrown of corporate profits and squeal uncle, stating their inability to supersede existing laws and hierarchy. Meanwhile, there is a pandemic that continues to spiral out of control, an economic collapse that must be addressed, and protests in the streets with root causes aggravated by loose gun laws.

I am always puzzled how these futile, thinly veiled loyalty tests of the NRA are presented as support for the constitution. Question: On the first day of service for an elected official, what does every person have to do? Answer: They have to swear to uphold the Constitution. I would suggest that if they were in their job for a while, and suddenly realized that the Second Amendment is part of the Constitution and thought everyone else would be surprised of that fact as well, that maybe they should have read the Constitution before taking official actions.

Here is another surprise for some of those officials. Amendment X of the United States Constitution states that The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People. This means that you, our dear elected leaders, have a right and a duty to pass ordinances to protect us, We the People.

So here is my suggestion for the alternative, sane universe. One of our major crises at the moment is in policing. Police departments have been militarized to deal with a flood of cheap guns in North America promulgated and encouraged by big gun corporations. When police officers and those who interact with them are all fearing for their lives with each transaction, the outcome can be predicted. Part of the solution to police reform must include sensible gun control legislation. A Quinnipiac poll in May of this year shows that 61 percent of Americans support more restrictions on guns like assault weapon bans, closing gun show loopholes, red flag laws, and common sense laws that prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands. When asked only about background checks, 94 percent of the people support them. Thats We the People who support responsible action.

Consequently, I am dumbfounded that our local officials are being duped into tying their own hands.

Therefore We the People are forming our own group called 10A. We are going to write an ordinance that the commissioners can pass citing their support for a higher authority, the People of Floyd County, Indiana. In addition it will require them to read the United States Constitution in its entirety. They only have to get through the Bill of Rights to realize that they have a duty, that they swore to uphold on day one of their occupation of office, to serve the People above profits and their own political benefit.

Most sincerely,

Randall T. Randy Stumler, Floyds Knobs

Visit link:
LETTER: Show loyalty to people, not NRA | Opinion - Evening News and Tribune

REVOLT.TV is home to exclusive interviews from rising stars to the biggest entertainers and public figures of today. Here is where you get the never-before-heard stories about whats really happening in the culture from the people who are pushing it forward.

Philip Smith, national president and founder of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA), hopes to encourage more Black people to legally own guns with an understanding of history and the mechanics of firearms.

I think the toughest battle we have to go through on a daily basis is just getting that perception of African Americans and guns. When people hear those two words and put them together, theres usually a negative stereotype that pops in your head and thats within our own community, and especially outside of our community. Were constantly trying to strategize how we can combat that and what weve done is have a methodology in which we send out positive images of African-American men and women on our website, says Smith.

Created by Smith in 2015, NAAGAs official website describes the organization as a pro 2nd amendment organization focused on the preservation of our community through armed protection and community building. We are a hub and network for all African American firearm owners, organizations, gun clubs and outdoor enthusiasts. Membership is available for couples, singles, and families, providing access to like-minded community, gun training, self-defense classes, and other resources including Black-owned gun shops and ranges.

The Second Amendment explicitly states, A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. This highly debated portion of The Bill Of Rights guarantees citizens of the United States the authority to own firearms.

For Black people, those rights listed in the Constitution did not, and arguably still do not, equally apply. The history of gun rights in the United States is as racialized just as the right to vote. Philando Castile, for example, was fatally shot by police in front of his romantic partner and her small child while reaching for his wallet after disclosing his possession of a legally obtained and registered firearm.

Statistics on gun ownership uphold the historical bias of white men being majority gun holders. Pew Research Center reports while 36% of white people report that they are gun owners, only about a quarter of Black people (24%) answered the same across gender demographics. Among only men, 48% of white men own guns compared to 24% of non-white men.

REVOLT spoke with Smith about NAAGA, the importance of owning a firearm, the organization being compared to the NRA, Black women and gun ownership and more. Read below.

What are the main reasons that Black gun ownership is important?

I think it is the most important thing in our community right now and Ill be specific. Every other community in the United States, based on ethnicity, has guns and Ill be honest with you, the communities that have a lot of guns are probably the more secure ones. Why can we not have firearms to protect our families, our children, our wives, our loved ones? To me, thats probably the most insulting thing that you can tell me: Wait, why do Blacks need to have guns? We have families, we have investments. We should be able to protect ourselves and it should be nothing wrong with that. Thats what the Second Amendment is all about and thats what makes us different from any other country in the world... For me, when African Americans are viewed with firearms, theres a level of discomfort for some and we try to make other individuals who dont really know about us comfortable. But, bottom line, I want my folks comfortable.

Youre doing what is allowed in the country to protect yourself and quite honestly, not having guns in our community has really been the problem. Up until now, to me, because its allowed us to be victimized. Other groups, individuals, communities know that we dont have a lot of guns in our communities focusing on legal gun owners. So, when our folks are out jogging, when theyre out walking, when [they are] minding their business doing their daily going to Kmart or Walmart going to Macys, and they get attacked, people know that pretty much that we dont have firearms on us. And thats a bad thing when you know that youre aggressor and I use that term loosely is stalking you out in society.

Is it more difficult to convince women that we needed guns?

I think women, for the most part, are more open to new ideas. But, at the same time, our people, Black folks, have been socialized to look at guns in a negative format. Now, what we try to do, we try to take anyone in especially women and give them information, and I think the ladies you know you guys a little smarter than us so you guys read a little bit more, youre a little more detail, your thought processes a little more holistic. When I say holistic, youre looking at the big picture, long term as to something thats gonna be a value add, and we put all that together with the way we present it. The women have been joining in droves.

Based on what they see on our website, what they hear from us, their experiences on the gun range, they have all been very positive, I would say 99% of the folks that go to our meetings are very pleased if theyre a woman. They see women that look like them, they see professional women, they see women that are white-collar, blue-collar, gay, straight, Republican, Democrat you have a whole swell of different type of folks.

How do you think we should approach introducing firearms to children?

I think theres a different context [in] urban living versus country versus suburban [versus] city life [versus] rural versus the city version of living. I think you should, regardless of where youre at, introduce your child in the same process as early as possible to let him or her know what this instrument is and it is just a tool that can be used for specific reasons. Some people use it for self-defense, some people use it for hunting, some people use it for both. But, you have to make sure that your child knows what this is. And as soon as they are mentally mature enough focus on that mentally mature enough take them to the range, have them shoot, slowly train them with an instructor [on] how to shoot a gun, what to do, what not to do, understand that there is a serious consequence. If you dont use this correctly, it can kill you.

What are your thoughts on the NRA and what are some key differences between it and your organization?

Ive met members of the NRA. I will say this, I dont have any ill will against any organizations out there, NRA or otherwise. You do your thing, well do ours. My focus is on NAAGA and NAAGA only. I use the analogy of going to the weight room, and you see this really buff guy in the weight room, and theyre huge and youre like, man, how did he get that that cut up? Well, you can spend all day looking at them, get buffed while you sit in in the weight room, eating chips, or you can focus on yourself and get strong. And thats what I do. I focus on my organization.

My job is to make African Americans when they come to our website comfortable. Im not worried about making any other group comfortable. Now, anyone else is surely invited, and we have numbers that are increasing in other groups: white, Asian, Latino and thats great. But, you know, when you come to NAAGA, your focus the conversation. The emphasis is on Black folks and firearms, and we are unapologetic in that.

We make no apologies. We are Afrocentric in nature, our delivery of information, our history that we expose our members to from Crispus Attucks to Nat Turner to Harriet Tubman to the Buffalo Soldiers to Deacons of Defense all those rich African Americans who provided history for us, you learn about that in NAAGA, and thats the difference. In terms of what is our relationship with anyone, we dont have a relationship with any organization... The days of us trying to explain ourselves why were here are over. Now you can accept that, or just step out of the way. But, make no mistake about it were here to stay.

Do you think more progress, as far as how Black people with guns are seen, would be made if the education system was better at teaching those kinds of stories?

It would be huge. Youve touched on something that is probably one of the main issues. The history of African Americans in this country is a beautiful history. Its rich. The Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen, they fought all the racism, all the double standards, and they still went out and did a great job for the country. The 54th, the Harlem Hellfighters that were denied to fight with Americans here in America, but went over to France... and they became one the most awarded groups in the history of the war for France.

All [NAAGA] board members have to take this course. When you take this course, you have an opportunity to become aware that you are not the first Black person to grab a gun and in fact, youre one of many in a long list of African Americans that have been able to use a gun.

How could an organization like yours be seen after a mass shooting?

I think, obviously, Im very biased leading the largest African American firearms organization. I believe the lobby of gun control folks, and I dont like demonizing anybody. Were all American citizens, we all have different perspectives and at the end of the day, were all just trying to have a better America for everyone to live in. But, there are different ways to get to that point. I believe that having a man with a gun, a good guy with a gun youve heard this term is better than having no gun at all. Now, other folks believe that guns are the issue and they are the problem.

I get questions about, well, you look at South Central L.A. or look at the south side of Chicago or even here in Atlanta, you look at the Bankhead area where there are some severe poverty and strife. You see a lot of gun use and I submit this. Anytime you take a group of people, I dont care what color, put them in an educational system that is basically a pipeline to the prison system, they learn nothing. They get no skills. Give them a hostile relationship with the police, at best, and thats it best. Put them in an area where they get no skills, and by the way, make sure they have three or four felonies by the time theyre 24 and 25. You know whats going to happen. You have somebody that cannot living in the current economy they cant get a job. Theyre literally left on the outside, so you dont [know what] youre going to do... Theyre gonna do whatever it takes to survive.

When you have conversations like that, you know very, very quick its not the gun. So, when people talk taking away the guns, they dont want to look at the whole problem... because when you look at the whole problem, you understand that it is a big problem. Its just not guns, its education. Its opportunity. Its communities are under siege with drugs. Those are big problems. Its easy to sit back and say, Oh take the guns away. You still will have death and mayhem just in a different format. So, lets be grown up and look at the real problem. Guns are not the problem. People are the problem.

People have attended protests with firearms. Do you think that your organization is beneficial to organizing groups, as they continue to protest police brutality and racism?

I think that anytime you have open carry for an African American male and Im not saying they dont have the right to do that if someone has paid the taxes, theyre doing the right thing and they can legally qualify in that particular state to open carry or concealed carry. That is your right. Im not arguing that point. Im saying that it may not be the smartest thing to do based on the social climate in which we live because a lot of times, youre making yourself a target. Im not saying you dont have the right. If you want to carry an AR-15, like some of these other folks and other communities do and walk down the street, and go walk into Macys, you might have the right to do that. But, I just dont think its realistically a good move on your part male or female because it draws attention in a negative way that may put you in a situation where your life is in danger very, very quickly. Now, Im a big proponent of concealed carry. But, open carry, thats something totally different.

How do you see NAAGA growing within the next five years? Whats the future of NAAGA?

Our goal, and I put everything in five-year segments, is to reach anywhere from 100,000 to 250,000 [members]. I do think well get 100,000 members within the next two to three years. After that, the ultimate goal for me is 600,000. I think 600,000 would be 10% of African Americans in the country right now that have guns... So if we can get 10%, I think we will have done an admirable job.

For more information on NAAGA, visit http://www.naaga.co.

More here:
NAAGA President Philip Smith wants more Black people to legally own guns and doesnt care if white people get - REVOLT TV