(ThyBlackMan.com) Recently in Georgia where I am, there was an active shooter incident where a 24 year-old African-American male allegedly shot five women at Northside Hospital. I have been in that hospital and downtown in that area frequently. A man hunt ensued and within eight hours they say he had been captured. There are some very strange things surrounding this incident, but that is an article for another time maybe. Still, the next day the mayor of Atlanta issued a letter. In the letter he boldly and inaccurately declared “it’s the guns”. The mayor’s comments are just as wayward and wrong as his ineffective public safety plan. He does not understand public safety, and the previous mayor didn’t either. Believe me, I know that for sure.
A Hispanic man is asked by his neighbors to stop shooting his gun because it is scaring the children. He allegedly goes next door and kills five of his neighbors. Then this “big bad murderer” does not even get 25 miles away from his house, and he is found hiding in a closet. Another strange anomaly.
In the area of the active shooter phenomenon I have done over seven years of research, I have special knowledge and special training that allows me to speak authoritatively on this issue. I have even conducted crime analysis and made recommendations to regulatory agencies. So I need to make a few points that even a Democrat trying to take your guns could understand.
First of all, guns do not kill people. Citizens are killed by people who should not have guns. People who have mental problems. People who are unstable. People who are far too angry to have possession of a weapon. People who are programmed, hostile, desperate, or maybe even just evil. The guns are no more the cause than the automobile is the reason a man gets drunk. Don’t blame the tool used, blame the user.
Second of all, anything potentially lethal in the hands of the wrong person can hurt or kill innocent people. Since that is true, should we ban cars because people have driven them through crowds, run over people, used them irresponsibly by drag racing on the highway and running from the police? Should we take away the cars so irresponsible intoxicated people cannot get them and drive drunk?
In East Point Georgia, several years ago, two bad cops tasered a man to death while he was laying on the ground. Should society take away the tasers from all police officers because of what these two bad cop degenerates did?
My point is this. When someone buys a gun legally, he has a right to do so. The Second Amendment gives us that right in order to protect ourselves. The presumption is that the purchaser will use the fire arm responsibly and lawfully. And yes over 99% of America does just that. I don’t suggest a lawful gun owner give up his or her guns due to active shooters anymore than I suggest you give up your car due to DUI drivers who have killed people.
Third of all, no major city in the United States, has enough police officers to protect all citizens at all times. That is unrealistic. That is not their primary function. And restricting you from protecting yourself when they cannot do it is setting you up to lose as a sitting duck. Fortunately, Georgia has the Constitutional Carry gun law signed by Governor Brian Kemp. This law allows anyone who could carry a gun legally to carry one either concealed or exposed without having to get a permit. While people try to make you believe this law was a bad thing, and that it would cause me any more shootings, that has not happened in Georgia. Governor Kemp correctly stated that you get your right to bear arms from the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, not from the state. You and I both know very well, if the constitutional rights of citizens are taken away, who will come out on the short end.
Before the Constitutional Carry law was passed in Georgia, Governor Kemp made an even bolder step in the right direction. He signed into law the right for students on college campuses to carry firearms. I remember debating this issue with a senator who was going around saying that such a law would make everything worse. The senator said students would start brandishing guns and showing off, and there would be shootings everywhere on college campuses. That did not happen in Georgia either and I told everybody it wouldn’t.
THIS SHOULD NOT BE A POLITICAL ISSUE
I am neither a Democrat, nor a Republican. I vote for the most qualified person who represents the value system and ideals that I believe are best for me, my family, my community and those around me. But I have to say I can find no way to vote for individuals who take away the right for me to protect myself and my family. Why would any sane person support that happening? Especially when some of those very same politicians carry guns themselves and when they know that the police are not bodyguards. They also know there are mass shortages of police officers in the field everywhere you turn.
Why is it that when the Democrats push to take away your guns using scare tactics does not manifest the tragedies as they say, they never go back and admit that? They just go on with the same rhetoric and propaganda they have been using to make you afraid of a piece of plastic and metal, as if it has a mind of its own and can jump up and shoot people on its own. They also seem to want to ignore that when a person buys the gun legally and uses it lawfully people are safer. They also want to ignore that more rules and laws will not stop a criminal from getting a gun illegally because the criminal does not go through the legal channels.
I have also noticed that these people who want to scare you and then take away your guns do not have any solution of how you should protect yourself if you are attacked, or even in a home invasion. Are they going to come and protect you? Are they going to guarantee that the police get there in time and engage the situation? No. I also noticed that many of these people who seem to speak against guns actually carry or own guns themselves. In Georgia, as a Firearms instructor, I have even seen many of them at the gun range. And I could call names, but I won’t – this time. Can you say “political hypocrisy”?
IF A SHOOTER HAS A GUN AND YOU DON’T, GUESS WHO WILL LOSE!
Let’s just be realistic here. Let me ask you a question. If a man or woman walks in a school to shoot up the place, but the principal, the ROTC instructor and the school resource officer are all armed, how much damage do you think the shooter will get away with doing? They may not be able to stop him at every turn, but the mere fact of him knowing there are other firearms present is a deterrent. And if they engage him, there is a far less chance of him doing maximal damage.
At least 99% of all the incidents classified as active shooter cases by the FBI have one thing in common. One awful thing. All the people could do was run and hide and pray, and hope or die. If nobody is armed, nobody can fire back at the active shooter. Why do I have to constantly explain how that is a bad thing to people?
A disarmed population is a population of sitting ducks. Criminals know that. Police officers know that. And while politicians should know that, either they do and they don’t care, or they are so blinded by their politics and other agendas that they still don’t care if you are left unprotected. My thought is that it is a lot of both.
Let me say this again using real numbers from the FBI Heat Map over the last 2 decades. Take note. Out of over 300 active shooter incidents in the United States since the year 2000, 99% of them have one thing in common. None of the people who were shot seemed to have a fire on that could’ve been used to protect themselves and save lives. And almost all of the cases, none of the people fired back at the Shooter.
One thing is certain, and all these cases, if people have been armed, the shooter would not likely have killed as many people and would have been stopped a lot sooner. We even saw and know of cases now where the police came or they were already present, and they did not go in and engage the suspect while he was in there killing people. What are you expected to do? Just sit there, hope and pray and high and die as many of these people did?
I don’t go anywhere unarmed. That does not mean that every armed person could stop an active shooter from killing a bunch of people. Though with my specialized training, I probably could. Still, for the average citizen, you have a better chance of surviving if you are armed when there is an active shooter in the building coming at you than you do if you have nothing. That should be common sense, but apparently those who want to take your guns want to ignore that too.
So the next time someone tries to tell you how bad guns are ask them a few of these questions. Ask if they have ever seen a gun jump up and shoot anybody by itself? Are the police guaranteed to be there to protect you all the time, any time, every time? If the police cannot get there to protect you, is it wrong to protect yourself? Isn’t it our responsibility first and foremost to protect ourselves and our families? Why is it right to restrict the vast majority of law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves and their families just because a tiny portion of the population consists of deviant murderers?
Here’s another dose of reality. I have been to the gun shows all over. Most of them are owned, operated and staffed by the Caucasian community. And while African-Americans are being tricked into disarming themselves by trading in guns for PlayStations and Visa gift cards, you need to know that the Caucasian community is buying up every gun it can get its hands on. And trunks full of ammunition. The pro-active thinkers are practicing, preparing and prepared.
In conclusion, guns are not toys, so we don’t need toy guns out there. A strong case can even be made for why the general public does not need assault weapons, though I personally own … and I am a very competent, stable-minded, lawful and responsible firearms owner. But arguments against assault weapons do not change the Second Amendment. And as long as it is in place, every state, politician and “Christian” should support and/or obey it because it is part of the law of the land.
Every gun owner should be responsible, competent, and using the weapon, they own, store it properly and safely and caring it in a manner that is completely defensive. If you have a bad temper, and you are prone to anger, you might want to carry something else to protect yourself. Guns should never be used to bully people nor as a scare or intimidation tactic. But we also cannot deny that they serve a purpose in the right hands. You need to know the laws of your city and state, as well as the laws and guidelines of any area where you take that weapon. And you need to go to the range to become as competent in the proper use and maintenance of your weapon as possible. Safe storage away from kids? A must without question.
So you see, there’s a lot that can be done to make our communities even safer. But that does not involve taking away guns, it involves a nationwide campaign of training and education to push gun owner responsibility and safety. Finally, think about why you never read about historical shoot outs between the Jews and the Nazis. Hitler was successful in disarming the Jewish population and you know the rest of the story.
Staff Writer; Trevo Craw
A Free Thinker, who loves to talk about Politics, Religion, etc. Also, all about uplifting the Black Community even if it doesn’t fit your mindset. One may hit me up at; TrevoCraw@ThyBlackMan.com.
