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Post by jeremysgirl on Feb 17, 2018 17:49:56 GMT
My Facebook friend posted a meme that said this: I need every black man in the country to go out tomorrow and buy an AR-15 assault weapon. They’ll be banned by Tuesday.
I responded and said: I can't quite put my finger on it, but this kind of rubs me the wrong way.
What I was thinking is that I live in a very multiracial, multiethnic area. I'd like to believe that this wouldn't hold water for where I live.
There was a comment made to me that that is my white privilege showing. Maybe it is. I don't want to comment back. The last thing I want is to start an argument or offend someone.
Maybe I am naive. I'll accept that. I just wondered what others thought.
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Post by scraphollie27 on Feb 17, 2018 17:51:57 GMT
I think you need to define why it runs you the wrong way before expecting a response. There are a lot reasons this sentiment would evoke a reaction and to have a conversation, we'd need to know your reasoning.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Feb 17, 2018 17:54:53 GMT
I think you need to define why it runs you the wrong way before expecting a response. There are a lot reasons this sentiment would evoke a reaction and to have a conversation, we'd need to know your reasoning. It just seems so crass. If I were a gun seller, I wouldn't think anything of selling a gun to a black man vs. a white man.
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AnotherPea
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Post by AnotherPea on Feb 17, 2018 17:56:55 GMT
That's not the statement the poster was trying to make. She was accusing all of the people who aren't jumping on the "ban all guns" "it's the NRA's" fault bandwagon of being racist. If a whole bunch of black people had these guns, then the stuffy old white men would finally work on gun control.
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RosieKat
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Post by RosieKat on Feb 17, 2018 17:59:52 GMT
I think I get where you're coming from. It's one of those uncomfortable things, where we personally would be fine with something and it's hard to fathom other people having a problem. But I think it's true - if every black man started open carrying, for example, I bet laws would change really fast.
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Post by scraphollie27 on Feb 17, 2018 18:04:33 GMT
I think you need to define why it runs you the wrong way before expecting a response. There are a lot reasons this sentiment would evoke a reaction and to have a conversation, we'd need to know your reasoning. It just seems so crass. If I were a gun seller, I wouldn't think anything of selling a gun to a black man vs. a white man. I think if large groups of black men went out and purchased these weapons then it would cause alarm given the social fight your country is engaged in with this minority group. I think the thought process of white people would lean towards fear of black men using the weapons in a violent uprising and that fear would drive change. The wrong reason for change, but change nonetheless.
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Post by Zee on Feb 17, 2018 18:06:09 GMT
What the meme is saying is that with all these mass shootings, where a white man is almost always responsible, nothing is done. But if the shooters were black men, there would be an outcry for "something" to be done. Let every black man in America go out tomorrow to legally buy an assault weapon and watch how fast "something" will need to be done.
It's not a racist meme, it's pointing out the irony.
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Post by scraphollie27 on Feb 17, 2018 18:08:47 GMT
My Facebook friend posted a meme that said this: I need every black man in the country to go out tomorrow and buy an AR-15 assault weapon. They’ll be banned by Tuesday. I responded and said: I can't quite put my finger on it, but this kind of rubs me the wrong way. What I was thinking is that I live in a very multiracial, multiethnic area. I'd like to believe that this wouldn't hold water for where I live. There was a comment made to me that that is my white privilege showing. Maybe it is. I don't want to comment back. The last thing I want is to start an argument or offend someone. Maybe I am naive. I'll accept that. I just wondered what others thought. From a matter of fact perspective, I do think you are being naive and not intentionally. I think this sentiment needs to be looked at through the large lens of social issues that America is dealing with at this time and the social issues can't always be examined in isolation.
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jayfab
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Post by jayfab on Feb 17, 2018 18:09:16 GMT
I wonder if it has to do with the history of gun control an black men? Here's a long story about it history
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Post by myshelly on Feb 17, 2018 18:09:50 GMT
I think you need to define why it runs you the wrong way before expecting a response. There are a lot reasons this sentiment would evoke a reaction and to have a conversation, we'd need to know your reasoning. It just seems so crass. If I were a gun seller, I wouldn't think anything of selling a gun to a black man vs. a white man. That's not what the statement is about, though.
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Post by gar on Feb 17, 2018 18:11:46 GMT
What the meme is saying is that with all these mass shootings, where a white man is almost always responsible, nothing is done. But if the shooters were black men, there would be an outcry for "something" to be done. Let every black man in America go out tomorrow to legally buy an assault weapon and watch how fast "something" will need to be done. It's not a racist meme, it's pointing out the irony. Agreed. Your politicians are blithely unconcerned about attacks by white men but brown people are to be feared so if they all suddenly armed themselves those politicians would suddenly find solutions to the gun problem in your country.
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Feb 17, 2018 18:13:22 GMT
It’s offensive. Very offensive.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Feb 17, 2018 18:25:16 GMT
I wonder if it has to do with the history of gun control an black men? Here's a long story about it historyThank you for that article. I thought it was very interesting. I did not realize that there was a history of racist undertones in gun control legislation.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Feb 17, 2018 18:27:57 GMT
It’s offensive. Very offensive. Please will you expand on this for me? I am really trying to wrap my brain around this and clarify my own feelings. I am just so used to living and working in harmony with minorities that maybe I have gone blind to systemic racism.
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katybee
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Post by katybee on Feb 17, 2018 18:32:03 GMT
This video is funny, but sad at the same time because it absolutely does speak to a truth...
Black people with guns are treated very differently than white people with guns. Look at Philando Castile, a black man who was legally carrying a firearm, informed the officer and was shot and killed anyway. Maybe that’s an isolated case, but I still very strongly believe that black men with guns are treated very differently that white men with guns.
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PrettyInPeank
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Post by PrettyInPeank on Feb 17, 2018 18:34:55 GMT
I don't think it would simply be the sales that changed policy maker's minds, but actual killings. Which will not happen because black ≠ unhinged murderer. But I get the meme's point. More guns is never the answer.
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Post by busy on Feb 17, 2018 18:38:06 GMT
I don’t think the meme is offensive - I think the truth of our society that it points out is offensive.
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Post by busy on Feb 17, 2018 18:38:52 GMT
This video is funny, but sad at the same time because it absolutely does speak to a truth... Black people with guns are treated very differently than white people with guns. Look at Philando Castile, a black man who was legally carrying a firearm, informed the officer and was shot and killed anyway. Maybe that’s an isolated case, but I still very strongly believe that black men with guns are treated very differently that white men with guns. Not an isolated case.
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MsKnit
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Post by MsKnit on Feb 17, 2018 20:46:37 GMT
What the meme is saying is that with all these mass shootings, where a white man is almost always responsible, nothing is done. But if the shooters were black men, there would be an outcry for "something" to be done. Let every black man in America go out tomorrow to legally buy an assault weapon and watch how fast "something" will need to be done. It's not a racist meme, it's pointing out the irony. Thank you! It would have been so nice to have this kind of response, instead of the white privilege comment. I fully admit to white privilege and the fact that I am ignorant of other peoples' experiences. Tell me why I am woefully ignorant. Educate me. Don't dismiss me with a statement of "white privilege." I truly want to understand. Why can't we just talk to one another?
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Post by jeremysgirl on Feb 17, 2018 20:52:46 GMT
What the meme is saying is that with all these mass shootings, where a white man is almost always responsible, nothing is done. But if the shooters were black men, there would be an outcry for "something" to be done. Let every black man in America go out tomorrow to legally buy an assault weapon and watch how fast "something" will need to be done. It's not a racist meme, it's pointing out the irony. Thank you! It would have been so nice to have this kind of response, instead of the white privilege comment. I fully admit to white privilege and the fact that I am ignorant of other peoples' experiences. Tell me why I am woefully ignorant. Educate me. Don't dismiss me with a statement of "white privilege." I truly want to understand. Why can't we just talk to one another? That's exactly why I brought it here. You never know on Facebook what you are going to get. Friends of Friends are strangers. I brought it here so we could discuss it because I think it is worth discussing and I knew the peas would help me work out why it bothered me. There is such a varied experience here and knowledge of things I don't know. I appreciate the thoughtful responses here.
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Post by dewryce on Feb 17, 2018 20:57:02 GMT
I think part of the reason that you, and many other people, don't initially "see" things like this is because you are trying to apply your thoughts and personal feelings to others. And to a point I really do get that, I want to believe the best in other people too. But, it is a bit naive. Please know this isn't an insult and I wish more people would handle their confusion like you do and gather their thoughts and educate themselves instead of just blindly snapping back. Or assuming they are right and dismissing what people around them are saying.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Feb 17, 2018 21:09:57 GMT
I don't feel.insulted dewryce. I live in an area that is very diverse. I am working and living right along side minorities. I bristled at the implication in that meme that whites fear blacks. And you know while it may not be the case for me, it is clear to me that my experience isn't universal.
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Post by lesserknownpea on Feb 17, 2018 21:21:48 GMT
. I bristled at the implication in that meme that whites fear blacks. . I, too, tend to be naive about race, as it’s such a non issue for me. But I am very aware that the response to black men with guns is quite different to whites in many people’s minds. If many black men systematically purchased these powerful killing machines it would definitely cause alarm. And yet, after these shootings ( think Las Vegas), NRA fueled paranoia causes sales of these guns (and the kits to make them shoot faster/more ),to skyrocket, but people in power do nothing.
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Post by mikklynn on Feb 17, 2018 22:05:50 GMT
That's not the statement the poster was trying to make. She was accusing all of the people who aren't jumping on the "ban all guns" "it's the NRA's" fault bandwagon of being racist. If a whole bunch of black people had these guns, then the stuffy old white men would finally work on gun control. I took it this way, too.
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twinsmomfla99
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on Feb 17, 2018 22:24:42 GMT
Wasn’t there a “social experiment” a while back wher several black men walked diwn the street with guns in an open carry jurisdiction to see the response? IIRC, they were met with multiple concerned calls to law enforcement and were stopped and questioned. A similar group of white men did not get as much attention.
Imagine four young armed black men (with legal open carry) walking into a convenience store together late at night. One, misinterpreted move could result in disaster. I mean, if trained law enforcement is going to overreact, how can you expect the minimum wage clerk not to do the same?
Yes, many whites are afraid of black men. They might not always cross the street when they see a group of young black men approaching, but I can just about guarantee their hearts beat faster and adrenaline kicks in. I have worked with a lot of college-age black men, and this is their reality.
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Post by femalebusiness on Feb 17, 2018 22:35:48 GMT
That actually happened in the 1960s. I remember when the Black Panthers in Oakland started open carrying here in California because it was legal. Reagan was governor and he and all of the other politicians who were all pro 2nd amendment changed their tune real quick and rushed to outlawed open carry.
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Post by leftturnonly on Feb 17, 2018 22:39:38 GMT
It just seems so crass. If I were a gun seller, I wouldn't think anything of selling a gun to a black man vs. a white man. I think if large groups of black men went out and purchased these weapons then it would cause alarm given the social fight your country is engaged in with this minority group. I think the thought process of white people would lean towards fear of black men using the weapons in a violent uprising and that fear would drive change. The wrong reason for change, but change nonetheless. That could be, but my first thought was black on black gang-related crime, especially in the worst crime-ridden areas, would dramatically increase in both violence and carnage since these are the groups of black men who currently own and misuse semi-automatic weapons the most. It's just too much of a stretch for me to assume that law-abiding family men would suddenly go out enforce to buy weapons to make a statement while those gang-affiliated perpetrators would sit back and not continue to outbuy them. I can appreciate the sentiment behind the original statement. On its face, it would create a significant disturbance indeed. It's a creative approach that is worth considering further. I just think it's naive to the reality of what actually would happen if the push was to more heavily arm black men. Think of what would happen if women were encouraged to go out en masse to purchase terrifying-looking semi-automatic weapons. What would happen then? Would more women educate themselves about weapons - what they are and how to use them? Would they present themselves as less-easy targets for predation? Would they have more power to be heard by legislative bodies? Would that be considered offensive to women, to be told to buy weapons that terrified them? And if so, why is it not considered offensive to men of color to be told the very same thing?
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eleezybeth
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Post by eleezybeth on Feb 17, 2018 22:40:28 GMT
What the meme is saying is that with all these mass shootings, where a white man is almost always responsible, nothing is done. But if the shooters were black men, there would be an outcry for "something" to be done. Let every black man in America go out tomorrow to legally buy an assault weapon and watch how fast "something" will need to be done. It's not a racist meme, it's pointing out the irony. Thank you! It would have been so nice to have this kind of response, instead of the white privilege comment. I fully admit to white privilege and the fact that I am ignorant of other peoples' experiences. Tell me why I am woefully ignorant. Educate me. Don't dismiss me with a statement of "white privilege." I truly want to understand. Why can't we just talk to one another? I can't defend the poster of the white privilege comment because I don't know why they said it. However, now that it has been pointed out that the white lady didn't understand the meme with the racial undertones, and could not quite put a finger on why it bugged her - now is the perfect time to challenge internally that white privilege. It doesn't have to be done with aggression or anger. In fact, I challenge it to be done just like the OP has done with open arms to learning. The misunderstanding is shrouded by that white privilege and what a great time to say, "ah ha, I get it. I might not fully understand it, but I'll take the opportunity to learn more about it." So bravo jeremysgirl for being in this situation, being called on her thoughts - and her privilege - and still being brave enough to explore it, to seek a conversation and to read up on it! Even if she disagrees or is confused! We don't have to be afraid of our privilege. But we really, truly, wholeheartedly should be aware of it and how it impacts our country and our fellow countryman. Being white does not mean racist. Not knowing when your white privilege is showing isn't racist either. Refusing to acknowledge that white privilege is a real true thing however is borderline for me.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Feb 17, 2018 22:47:17 GMT
That actually happened in the 1960s. I remember when the Black Panthers in Oakland started open carrying here in California because it was legal. Reagan was governor and he and all of the other politicians who were all pro 2nd amendment changed their tune real quick and rushed to outlawed open carry. This was exactly what the article that jayfab posted said. I learn so much here. This is part of the reason I really like it here. Peas have so many different experiences. I am always challenged to look at things from a different angle.
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Post by leftturnonly on Feb 17, 2018 22:58:09 GMT
What the meme is saying is that with all these mass shootings, where a white man is almost always responsible, nothing is done. But if the shooters were black men, there would be an outcry for "something" to be done. Let every black man in America go out tomorrow to legally buy an assault weapon and watch how fast "something" will need to be done. It's not a racist meme, it's pointing out the irony. Yes, it does. It's thought-provoking and that is a much better approach for us to find solutions than I've been seeing for so many years. Again, though, that means that EVERYONE needs to be more thoughtful. We have gun laws on the books already. We really do. We have background checks and legal gun sellers are heavily regulated and monitored right now. And yet, the biggest targets remain those who are the least defended. More laws are going to do what, exactly? Change the minds of those who are already intent on creating carnage? I don't know what the answers are. I'm against useless changes to our laws in the name of just doing something. I'm for considering all angles - and that includes the increasing isolation of our population. Every time I'm in a room with a group of younger people, they spend a lot of time individually on their phones. Even while speaking with each other, they are constantly diverting their attention away from the person or people they are in the room with. There's a change in the way we consider others from when I was younger that more depersonalizes our interactions with each other. Mass shootings depersonalize people. Whatever solutions that may be out there waiting to be discovered will need to include a whole lot more diversity of thought than what we've had as of yet.
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