Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com
If there were any lingering doubt that all the posturing about the Second Amendment and “liberty” that right wingers do is mainly about white people having unfettered access to guns so as to menace everyone else, let this tweet by “CEO, http://WageWatch.com ; Goettl Good Guys Board; Treasurer, AZHFA; Former Treasurer, RNC; Former Chair, AZGOP; CPA; Former Partner, Deloitte & Touche” Randy Pullen remove all doubt.
But this is still a startling admission since I’ve been reading for years from gun nuts how any gun safety laws whatsoever are a slippery slope to the kind of tyranny and terror perpetuated by these likes:
After the Civil War, the defeated Southern states aimed to preserve slavery in fact if not in law. The states enacted Black Codes which barred the black freedmen from exercising basic civil rights, including the right to bear arms. Mississippi’s provision was typical: No freedman “shall keep or carry fire-arms of any kind, or any ammunition.”
Under the Mississippi law, a person informing the government about illegal arms possession by a freedman was entitled to receive the forfeited firearm. Whites were forbidden to give or lend freedman firearms or knives…
…Despite the statutes, and at the suggestion of Reconstruction governors and other leaders, blacks often formed militias to resist white terrorism. For example, in June 1867 in Greensboro, Alabama, the police let the murderer of a black voting registrar escape; in response, a freedman who would later serve in the Alabama State Legislature urged his fellow freedmen to create a permanent militia. “Union League” militias were formed all over central Alabama.
The freedmen slipped from white control. One planter protested that his workers were “turbulent and disorderly,” coming and going when they wished, as if they had a choice whether or not to work. The Union League, protested another ex-master, was advising freedmen “to ignore the Southern white man as much as possible…to set up for themselves.”
The next spring, the Ku Klux Klan came to central Alabama. The Klansmen, unlike the freedmen, had horses, and thus the tactical advantages of mobility. In a few months, the Klan triumph was complete. One freedman recalled that the night riders, after reasserting white control, “took the weapons from might near all the colored people in the neighborhood.”
Looks like Randy wants to, er, reconstruct a bygone era.
It’s interesting to me to read some of these comments. When I saw the original, I knew 2 things: Democrats/liberals/leftists would not see the sarcasm, tongue-in-cheek, humor in the statement. Second the rant about post-civil war whites taking rights away from blacks and the mention of the KKK. Remember that those whites were Democrats and the Democrats have used racism and laws to keep the blacks repressed and in a state of dependency since then!
Democrats have found numerous ways over the years not to own up to their history. Remember, they are very good at not seeing things they don’t want to see, and not remembering things they don’t want to remember.
While it is true that almost all gun deaths of blacks are “black-on-black” it is also true that almost all gun deaths of whites are “white-on-white”.
If it makes any sense to take guns away from blacks then the same logic would lead us to conclude we should also take guns away from whites!
My conclusions: Make it much harder to get a gun. Limit firepower. Require training and secure storage.
I disagree with you, but I want to thank you for presenting you opinion in a reasonable manner without resorting to insults, name calling or profanity. It is commendable of you.
Of course you would report it this way, exactly what I would expect. I was being cynical about Bernie and Hillary screaming during the debate that taking guns away would end violence. This was an extension of their thinking. Taking guns away from citizens black or white will not end violence.
Of course taking guns away will not end the violence. But foir these people, it is not about logic, it is about emotions. They hate guns so the guns must go.
And your comments were onviously tongue in cheek and anyone with an open mind could see that. It’s the “open mind” part that they are having propblems with.
Right. You needn’t explain, as we can read. I’m sure your tweet was up long enough to get to the intended audience and a few $ made it to the NRA, so no worries.
There’s nothing permissible about the suggestion that Black Americans do not deserve the same constitutional rights as all other Americans, period.
“Tongue-in-cheek” is no defense for those who advocate separate and unequal civil rights for Black Americans. Yes, this was a stupid tweet. Don’t compound the foolishness by trying to excuse this boorish behavior as a poor attempt at humor.
Good comment, James!
You need to get a hobby and lighten up. I know that leftists generally don’t have a sense of humor, but you shouldn’t act like it is something to be proud of. You do have an imagination, though, because nowhere in the tweet did he mention unequal treatment under the law for blacks. That you made up on your own.
“because nowhere in the tweet did he mention unequal treatment under the law for blacks. That you made up on your own.”
Pullen literally said guns should be taken away from black people, and only black people.
He did not say guns should be taken away from black people and only black people. He only mentioned black people in his tweet because he was commenting on the phrase “Black Lives Matter”. You read into it what you wanted to see so you could have a hissy fit.
I know Randy personally, he was my co-host on my radio show Hair on Fire and am sure this was a tongue in cheek comment.
Of course it was tongue in cheek, but the people here don’t find that near as rewarding to believe (or pretend they believe). I find it funny that these people can find abortion in the Constitution even though it is not written there, but these same people become quite literal when it suits their needs. I do know that I have found very few leftists who have a genuine sense of humor.
Your personal knowledge of him is irrelevant. Pullen may be personable and jocular with lots of people he knows personally (and whom he deems to be his social equals). That tweet, whether intended as a joke or not, was hateful and bigoted. Intentions aren’t magic.
“Yes black lives matter. The best way to end the slaughter of young black men is to take guns away from blacks as they are the main killers.” – Randy Pullen Tweet
Two points about his tweet:
(1) If he was serious (and I doubt he was) and meant we should take guns away from blacks, then he is speaking stupid and for himself. I have not seen that sentiment in writing anywhere else, nor have I heard it mentioned and I am VERY active in pro-gun activities.
(2) If he was making a tongue in cheek response (which I think he was) based on the crime statistics which show that most gun crime is black on black crime.
The truth is that pro-gun people wany all law abiding Americans and legal resident aliens to be able to exercise their rights under the 2nd Amendment if they choose to do so. And that is without regard to race, creed, heritage, sex, religion, sexual orientation, etc. The right to own firearms is a uniquely American right and it is there for all Americans to exercise should they choose.
What is also “uniquely American” is the number of deaths, homicides and suicides, a number far larger than any other country. What is also “uniquely American” is our society’s acceptance of those deaths as the price to pay for second amendment “rights.” It is not exceptionalism – it is just sick.
The United States is not the most violent nation in the world. It is plain silly for you to spout such a statement without doing at least a quicj Google search. Worldwide we are about in the middle for violent deaths, including deaths caused by guns. What I think you meant to say is that among industrialized bations our gun violence rates are higher than the others. That is true. What is also true is the nations included in the list of “industrialized nations” are cherry picked nations that do not allow their citizens to have relatively easy access to guns.
I don’t believe I said anything about the United States being an “exceptional” nation. I happen to agree with Bob Lord that we are not particularly exceptional. I do, however, relish that uniquely American thing called the 2nd Amendment. It was put into the Bill of Rights by the Founders for good reason. You may choose to belittle the 2nd Amendment, or try to pretend it doesn’t have any meaning today, but you would be wrong. Like it or not, it exists and the day the government decides to ignore it is the day the entire Constitution becomes meaningless. If you can ignore one right, you can ignore them all.
Republican cluelessness. Only a White Privileged Republican would think that a comment centered on Black people being relieved of their guns is “tongue in cheek.” Can’t wait ’til these dinosaurs are extinct.
Democrat humorlessness. Only a sourpuss female curmudgeon would not see that the message was posted tongue-in-cheek. I can’t wait until…no…no…wishing you would pass on goes too far. I know it doesn’t bother you to wish a dinosauer like me would die, but I don’t hold these things that seriously. Additionally, I am just not that rude. I guess that is just the way we “White Privileged Republicans” are.
Steve,
In your reply to my post you said, “…I want to thank you for presenting your opinion in a reasonable manner without resorting to insults, name calling or profanity.” I appreciate your “thanks” but would urge you to also present your opinion “…in a reasonable manner without resorting to insults, name calling or profanity.”
Bill
You are, of course, referring to my response to Patricia. If you compare the two responses, I was using sarcasm to image her earlier message. I followed the general flow of her message line for line in responding with similar invectives, though toned down. I did not, and would not, wish an early demise on her as she did us “dinosaurs”. In any event, I still appreciate the manner in which you responded.
Wow, Steve, the hills you pick to die on.
I didn’t pick the hill, Donna, the hill picked me. :o)