(ThyBlackMan.com) For reasons of spiritual conviction, I have not owned a firearm for the past twelve years. While some may believe that guns are necessary for protection, the underlying motivation is undoubtedly fear. This fear has prevented the implementation of gun control laws in America and may continue to do so indefinitely. The founding of America itself was rooted in fear, as Michael Moore astutely highlighted in his documentary “Bowling For Columbine,” humorously portraying the history of America’s fears through a cartoon.
The fear of persecution led to the colonization of America, fear of the Native Americans resulted in their extermination, fear of themselves saw witches burnt, fear of arduous work led to the enslavement of Africans while the slave owners reaped all the rewards. The fear of retribution from enslavement then led to the creation of pistols, and later the formation of the KKK and NRA. It begs the question – has fear ever truly subsided?
A few years ago, I was hanging out in the downtown Tunnels of Houston Texas, an underground system for the corporate folks, when an older white guy tried to recruit me for some financial service MLM scam. A fintech entrepreneur at the time, I humored him and listened to his spiel, ultimately declining his offer. During our conversation, he divulged that he could never return to his hometown of New York as he would never part from his guns.
It is imperative that the African American community come to grips with White America’s lust for guns (and power). It’s also worth mentioning here that we live in a time where white men feel as if they are losing control of the country, so much so that some were bold enough to actually storm the Capitol! It is this heightened level of fear that prevents gun control. Columbine occurred 24 years ago and the situation has only worsened since. In fact, Columbine has inspired so many copycat killings, that it has now been called the Columbine Effect. In more recent news, black people are even being shot for accidentally knocking on the wrong door, another testament to a fear ridden society. So…. What are we to do??
While some advocate for black people to arm themselves and acquire firearms proficiency, a more intellectual approach must be taken eventually. As Sun Tzu famously stated, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” I opine that alluding to The Art of War while discussing gun control in the Black American community is justified for two principal reasons:
Firstly, no one is ever safe from these random acts of domestic terrorism we’ve seen occur since Columbine. A significant portion of which are aimed at people of color. Secondly, “The rate of fatal police shootings among Black Americans was much higher than that for any other ethnicity, standing at 5.9 fatal shootings per million of the population per year between 2015 and January 2023.” – as reported by Statista.com. Adding insult to injury, there have been instances where police officers have fatally shot black males who were merely playing with toy guns outside or intending to purchase a BB gun at Walmart.
Guns are inherent in the war waged against us! Oppression and firearms have been inextricably linked for centuries… but again, what are we to do??
We follow in the wisdom of Sun Tzu, who said,
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
In America, nothing is more methodical than the execution and imprisonment (enslavement) of black males. We occupy the top spot in almost every statistical category associated with both, and while the reasons behind this are difficult to discuss, they have long been deciphered. By equipping ourselves with this knowledge and the teachings of Counter Racist experts like Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Mr. Neely Fully Jr, and Dr. Amos Wilson, we can familiarize ourselves with the strategies and tactics of white supremacists and strive to avoid becoming their potential targets. Prior awareness of their fear and propensity for violence will influence our conduct in this system.
Despite my lack of affiliation with organized religion, I believe that one can always obtain valuable insights from ancient texts in the pursuit of self-discovery. For it was written in Job 3:24-25, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me.…”
We must avoid falling prey to the pervasive fear-based mindset that pervades our society, as it erodes our capacity for critical thinking and can manifest our deepest fears through the law of attraction. Our foremost responsibility is to thoroughly scrutinize the mechanics of the racism game, not only to mitigate issues with gun control but also to dismantle the entire apparatus of systemic racism. Dr. Welsing called this process “Planetary Chess”.
I can understand you having a gun to protect your family but ultimately, guns will not save us all.
Staff Writer; Janga Bussaja
One may contact this brother at; JangaB@ThyBlackMan.com.