'Black gun owners are often portrayed negatively,' says newspaper that often portrayed Black gun owners negatively
Washington Post tries to whitewash its own history of reporting on gun owners of color.
They say you should never write an opinion column when you’re angry.
I’m violating that rule today in a big way, and it’s the Washington Post’s fault.
A photo story the newspaper recently published titled: “Armed Doesn’t Mean Dangerous: Black gun owners are often portrayed negatively,” is the reason.
The portraits in the photo story are actually quite good, but it’s the premise and the Post’s refusal to acknowledge its own history of portraying gun owners of color negatively, which I find offensive.
The newspaper’s staff should have asked the question: Who’s portraying them negatively? And then they should have looked in the mirror.
The mainstream media is responsible for stereotyping Black gun owners, and the Post is a leader of the mainstream media.
If the newspaper now wants to make amends, perhaps an editorial or a letter from the editor would have been a better vehicle for a mea culpa.
While the mainstream media thrives on interjecting race into every story, by comparison, the gun community is colorblind — something the Post should also have acknowledged.
When someone drops their gear next to me at the range, I don’t care what color they are. I only care about one thing — their competence — can they handle weapons safely, or should I move over a few lanes. This concern covers folks of all races, ethnicities, sexes, ages, sexual orientations, religions, pronoun choices and whatever other personal descriptors en vogue nowadays I’ve failed to mention.
Besides, the gun community has known for a long time that most of the country’s gun control laws were written for one reason — to keep guns out of the hands of Black folks, so the Klan could terrorize them without having to worry about getting shot — another fact the media never mentions. So, if there was ever a group of people whose Second Amendment rights should be celebrated, it’s the Black community.
Still, the media has stereotyped gun owners of color for decades, as if they want you to believe that any person who owns a gun is a criminal — especially if they’re not white.
I argued against this as a reporter, to no avail, and I’ve watched the stupid editorial decisions happen firsthand.
Some poor guy or gal of color would get into trouble for something minor, and officers would find a gun on them or in their car, so the story would get more attention.
“But I have a gun in my car,” I’d argue, but I never won.
There are a few facts the media needs to understand about guns and race:
The Second Amendment applies to everyone, regardless of their race.
Everyone is endowed with the God-given, Constitutional right to self-defense.
A modern firearm is the best tool for self-defense.
Owning a gun does not make someone a criminal.
And Civil Rights icon Ida B. Wells said it best: “A Winchester rifle should have a place of honor in every black home, and it should be used for that protection which the law refuses to give.”
As always, thanks for your time.
Lee
Isn't this known as 'projection' ? That's the word that came to mind, so I hope it's the correct one.
The W Post, along with just about every other major media today, does this with nearly everything they write/publish.
It seems to be a failure in their education. None of them seem to be able to look at themselves, or inside their own character, honestly and openly.
That's also a symptom spreading widely across the world with the introduction of the new communications technologies.
People spend the time in which they should be listening or thinking on what was said, only about what they are going to say or write when they have a chance.
That picture is full of sorrow.
Look at their eyes, only one of them has smiling eyes.
Honest people need to arm themselves today more than any time since the revolution to protect themselves against the criminal element. This goes for black,oriental and everyone else who desire to live in safety and peace. The criminale element will always have guns,knives,clubs etc to rule over the unarmed. The black people need arms to take back their streets from the gangbangers and drug dealers and thieves. The politicians will do nothing to bring the criminal under control but will attempt to disarm the honest people to protect the outlaws from harm. The honest blacks and asians should start calling police and form a cadre to stand guard over their streets.