If the world was mine to rule, all handguns in the United States of America would be banned and at most I would leave a few closely regulated rifles for hunting. This may be a somewhat radical position but it is an absolutely necessary one – especially for Black America.
The simple fact is that we do virtually nothing with guns but kill one another. The Ku Klux Klan never killed and maimed as many Blacks as Blacks kill and maim one another. In America today, more African Americans are victims of homicides than are victims of AIDS. There is no reason to disbelieve the latest Justice Department figures which show that 90 percent of Blacks killed in this country are killed by other Blacks and in approximately 60 percent of the killings a handgun is used.
When are we going to wake up! Guns do not protect use; they kill us. They turn punks, thugs and the mentally deficient into domestic terrorists spreading fear, mayhem and death. This is fear, mayhem and death in which they simply would not be able to engage if it were not for that gun. How long will America, both Black and white, continue to witness deranged people killing dozens at malls, college campuses and neighborhoods and remain silent about the evil of guns?
We live in the most violent country in the world. No one kills more Americans than other Americans. And although we are only 13 percent of the nation’s population, we account for better that 40 percent of gun deaths. The starting point for attacking this gun culture is a change in attitude. The beliefs that owning a gun makes you a man and is a symbol of freedom is downright psychotic.
Neither manhood nor freedom comes from the barrel of a gun. And we are not talking theory. As a matter of actual fact the only things coming from guns in America today are robberies, burglaries, rapes and murders. And disproportionately we are the victims.
As such, we, as a people interested in survival, should be in the forefront of local and national efforts to ban the ownership of handguns. We must support politicians who will make a stand against the gun lobby. In the 21 century, gun ownership is down right uncivilized.
Do not allow false phrase mongering to destroy the Black race. When someone says “If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns” tell them they are speaking foolishness. From Canada to a host of European countries, every where guns have been banned both violence and deaths are reduced. Secure, civilized nations are no-gun nations. What can anyone do with an assault rifle but kill innocent people?
The simple fact is that America is neither secure nor civilized and never will be as long as there are between 60 million and 100 million guns floating around this nation.
[Share your thoughts on the above commentary or any other topic by emailing me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or leave a brief message at 202-657-8872. Please include your name and city.]
