I posted on Saturday that the NRA Convention was going pretty well at that point. Granted, there wasn’t but a handful of black folks there. I personally encountered about 12 out of 82,000. But, hey, it’s a start. More than I expected. In fact, one of the first black people I saw was Maj Toure from Black Guns Matter. I spoke to him for a bit about dispelling myths in urban communities and opening skeptical minds to causes like the Second Amendment.
As I mentioned in my last segment on the GunBlog VarietyCast, I was a little nervous about attending NRAAM. I mean, I knew no one would beat me up or kick me out, of course. But I did wonder if I would be such a sore thumb that it would feel uncomfortable or awkward.
But folks were generally cordial, polite, dare I say even disarming (no pun intended). Lots of smiles, welcoming gestures, banal niceties, and the like. It was all so very Pleasantville-esque. And when the precious old guy at the Annual Meeting took to the microphone to proclaim that the NRA needs more women and minorities, I breathed a great big sigh of relief, mildly embarrassed that I had avoided this event for so long.
And then…
Someone I know — a white man I’ve grown to like a lot — said the n-word. In my presence. Within direct earshot. On purpose. Knowing full-well that I could hear him. And then he laughed hysterically. Look, Ma, I made a funny!
No, he wasn’t calling me a n*gger. He didn’t direct it at me or at anyone else. He didn’t even mean it as a pejorative. Instead, he was channeling his inner Samuel L. Jackson and quoting some “funny” line from a movie. (Pulp Fiction, maybe? Django? I can’t remember. It doesn’t matter.) Apparently, something had just happened that he analogized to the movie scene, so he saw a perfect opportunity to gin up some laughs with his very best Samuel L. impersonation.
That blood-soaked, lynching-laden, vote-suppressing, freedom-snatching abomination of a word just casually roller-bladed right off his tongue like he was singing his A-B-Cs. And the laughter. The amusement. The banter. He was quite proud of his punchline. It wasn’t until someone else gave a look of disapproval that he turned to me and said some sh*t like, “Oh, sorry, Tiffany. My bad.”
Sorry?
You’re… sorry? Your bad? REALLY?!?
You’re God-damned motherf*cking right it’s your bad. Dude, WTF?!? I should take this pen and stab you in the Adam’s apple right f*cking now. Better yet, how about I kill off everyone in your family who is of no use to me; keep the ones who can bear children, be sex slaves, or do manual labor; clap them in chains and drag them to a different continent; work them like horses until they die of exhaustion or give me a reason to beat them to death; codify my right to do all this sh*t under the very same federal laws, Supreme Court, and Constitution that protect your right to bear arms; come up with a catchy new word to signify aaaaaaaaall that, and then hurl that word in your face. How about that.
And you know what? I’m not sure what pissed me off more: him dropping the n-bomb, or him being utterly oblivious to the fact that following up with a perfunctory, giggle-wrapped apology only made it ten thousand times worse.
When I heard him use that word so freely, I felt like Sarah in the ballroom scene from the movie, Labyrinth, when she realized all the people she thought she had joined in fellowship were actually laughing at her. She realized she was a fool. She had been hoodwinked. Something was very wrong. She wasn’t supposed to be there. All those folks with whom she felt a sense of solidarity — they were all wearing masks. Eventually, she could no longer resist the frantic urge to escape her surroundings, even by destructively crashing right through them if necessary. And all the while, David Bowie sings, “As the World Falls Down.”
I would like to tell you that I courageously confronted this gentleman and gave him a lecture on social proprieties. Instead, I did what Sarah did. I absconded from his presence as fast as I could. I stowed myself away in some offbeat corner and sobbed hysterically. And I mean uncontrollably. Like, that coughing-hyperventilation-and-snot-bubbles kind of bawling. It was not the reaction I expected. At first I thought it was anger. But it wasn’t. It was fear. After dodging the question in so many different facets of my life, hearing the n-word at the NRA Convention left me no choice but to look in the mirror and ask: Am I in the Sunken Place?
If you haven’t seen the movie, Get Out, then (A) shame on you and (B) stop reading this and go see it immediately. You won’t understand the Sunken Place without seeing the movie. And even then, you still might not understand it. I sure didn’t (which might explain why once upon a time in my adolescent ignorance I used the n-word myself). The film’s director, Jordan Peele (of Key and Peele), says the Sunken Place is a perpetual state of being marginalized — reduced to a meme, a caricature, even a prop. It’s the hypnotic “Good Doggie” syndrome, where surface-level nods obscure the underlying existential demotion.
Am I just the agreeable token that people tolerate so they can say they have a black friend? Am I the acceptable Negro? The one who never screams too loudly — who doesn’t mind people saying the n-word? Because, hey, Sam Jackson said it, so it’s cool, right?
As I mentally flailed in the horror of realizing I might very well be sunken, my mind started to wander. My Sunken Place grew wider and wider and wider. I started rethinking past incidents that I had previously brushed off as happenstance. Was I so blinded that I had completely missed their meaning? Had I spent too much time engrossed in the Labrynth fantasy and not enough time internalizing Malcolm X or American History X or 12 Years a Slave?
Saturday at the NRA Convention, I noticed a guy in front of me on the escalator. Dude was all tatted up – head to toe. One tattoo on his arm was a white lightning bolt. I saw it, noticed it, and filed it away as, “Na. Couldn’t be. Don’t be paranoid.” Was I wrong to give him the benefit of the doubt? After all, if my own regular acquaintances could so easily utter the n-word in my presence, is it really so far-fetched that one stranger in a sea of 82,000 gun-loving, states’-rights-promoting, confederate-flag-wearing NRA members just might be sporting the SS insignia?
Another white friend of mine had a running joke with a black mutual friend. She called him “Chocolate Godzilla.” Before this weekend, I might not have thought twice about her calling him that, especially since they were good friends and ribbed each other all the time. But now that I know folks are perfectly willing to blurt out the n-word, should I give comments like that a little more scrutiny?
Another white friend of mine saw the movie Get Out and loved it, which I was happy to hear. But when describing the movie, he said it was “hilarious.” Wait – what? The Sunken Place is no more hilarious than the n-word. Does he not get it? Did he watch that whole film and miss the entire point? Again, any other time, this wouldn’t have bothered me. The movie is partly billed as a “comedy” after all (a designation dripping with as much satire as the film itself). Hell, under different circumstances, if someone had said Get Out was funny, I might have smiled and nodded in jovial acquiescence, as all the sunken people tend to do. But now that I had been traumatized by that f*cking n-word, the thought of Get Out being “hilarious” only made me think, “Jesus. How white. What a white thing to say. Only a white person could watch that movie and declare, oh, how so very funny.”
And that’s probably not fair of me, I know. Maybe none of those folks deserved the judgmental preconceptions I was (ironically) imposing on them. But that word, I swear. That word. It was in my head. It kept impaling me, like some kind of boomerang bullet stuck in a relentless loop. And those hasty preconceptions were the only Kevlar at my disposal.
I had totally geared up to be open-minded at NRAAM. I had loosened up, let down my guard, and begun to allow myself to enjoy the weekend, even despite the fact that only 0.015% of the attendees had black skin. Who cares if there are no black people here, right? I’m with like-minded folks advancing good causes, regardless of race. And then, sledgehammer. That word completely and totally ruined everything. It ruined my whole day. My whole inaugural NRAAM experience. It kept replaying in my mind. Over. And over. And over. And over again. And again. And again. “They smile in your face. But in the end, you’re just a n*gger to them.” I spent hours arguing with myself over that.
Risen Me: You really thought they accepted you, huh? SMH.
Sunken Me: No, no, don’t over-react. He didn’t even mean it like that.
Risen Me: Ha! You’re even more naive than I thought.
Sunken Me: I’m not naive! Just because one guy makes a mistake doesn’t mean you get to paint a whole race with a broad brush. That would make you a racist yourself.
Risen Me: It’s not about painting everybody with a broad brush. It’s not even really about racism. It’s about you not deluding yourself to the point where you’re caught off guard and severely wounded by something that shouldn’t surprise you. You know how you’re always preaching about situational awareness? Yeah, well this situation caught you woefully unawares.
And when I couldn’t resolve this matter with myself, I wasn’t sure where to go for help. My white friends and gun buddies might say, “oh, he didn’t mean any harm, it was a joke, and he apologized,” which would make my head explode. My black friends and gun-shy buddies might say, “well, we told you so,” which would make my heart explode. I was alone, in the truest, purest, most absolute sense of the word. And yes, it was quite a sinking feeling.
My brain was off kilter from that point forward. The n-bomb had hit my eardrums — not in a movie or a song or a book, and not from an imperial wizard of the KKK, but from a charismatic friend of mine in real life in 2017 — and something in my psyche was dislocated. I had an emotional limp for the rest of the day. And you know when I felt better? When I hung out with another person of color. It was hours later, and I ran into a friend who happened to be black. We chatted for a while about absolutely nothing. I didn’t even mention the n-word incident. But only in his company did I finally feel “right” once again. Even though we weren’t talking about a damn thing of any particular import, only then did I feel back at home.
And that scared me. I shouldn’t need another black face just to recognize myself and remember who I am.
I hope the person who used the n-word reads this. I hope it makes sense to him. I really, really hope he can forgive me for all the wild and crazy thoughts that crossed my mind when I heard him say that word. And I hope we can both learn from this experience and be better people as a result.
P.S. – If you are thinking about posting a reply with some clever gem of originality like, “but black people use the n-word all the time,” please don’t. I’m too exhausted to explain why, but I beg you, spare me. For now, suffice it to say that if you think Samuel L. Jackson or any other person gives you license to start throwing around the n-word, then maybe you’re in a kind of sunken place too.
[Update…]
Hi, spring breeze! been a while since I’ve seen your site. I was saddened both by your negative experience [the sunken place] and your reaction to it. I don’t understand why ANYONE is tolerated using that type of language no matter the color. I also don’t understand why people use hyphenated labels to describe themselves or others unless it is key to the conversation. why African- American, Asian- American, or Mexican-American? I don’t refer to myself as a Scots-American. I wasn’t born there. That is just my family lineage. are we not all Americans and can’t we just get past the hateful things all peoples of the world have done to each other and themselves through the course of history? I am not saying forget but forgive and move forward. lets make a better future and bury the past injustices. we are all descendants of the first people and are truly brothers and sisters no matter the appearance on the exterior. Just my rambling thoughts and feelings on the subject and I do not pretend that this is not an issue. I do not intend to offend anyone but can not always say the right things as I only know my perspective from my experiences and life lessons. Please feel free to correct me if I am way off base here because I truly am trying to understand and am always willing to listen to others perspectives in an attempt to broaden my own horizons. thanks for listening and whatever happens, blog on! these discussions are how we can connect, understand and be more tolerant of each other.
Thanks, Roger. I appreciate your perspective. All well said. As I mentioned, I was disappointed in my response too. I’m hoping all involved parties learned a little bit through this experience. I sure did.
Hi,
I was directed to this blog post because it was shared by the National African American Gun Assoc. on Facebook.
I am so sorry this happened to you. I am Asian American, an NRA member and also attended the convention in Atlanta. I have to be honest, I am from Los Angeles and was somewhat wary of going to Georgia, as I had never been there before but know it is the birthplace of the KKK. I traveled outside urban Atlanta too and went into the countryside, so I was even more apprehensive about that. I even thought about trying to bring a gun to Georgia for when I went to the sticks.
Regarding my experience at the convention itself, I am usually hypersensitive to subtle racism and thought I would experience it while at the meeting. There are fewer Asian Ams than Afr Ams in the NRA so I knew I would really stick out. I have to say, I did not experience any even subtle forms of bigotry by anyone at the NRA. This was just my experience. I interacted with quite a number of people there too and made some new friends. I don’t know – maybe they were mocking me and calling me names behind my back, but I don’t think so.
I went to the ILA Forum and the gentleman who sat next to me is Afr Am and he had just joined the NRA that day. While waiting for the event to start, I actually had a discussion with him and his friends (who are white) about gun control and its ties to racism. I was pleased by their reactions and opinions during our discussion and how “progressive” they were about race, police brutality, etc. They were from the deep south so I was sort of surprised they had these views. Likewise, I met an older couple from Atlanta
Lastly, at the NRA meeting of members on Saturday, the oldest lifetime NRA member in attendance was invited to speak onstage. It was informal and he did not know he would be invited to speak with Wayne LaPierre. This 90 something year-old white man said the NRA needs to reach out to women and people of color (although he called us “minorities”) and said the organization had not done enough for us in the past. His statement was met with applause.
I am sorry this happened to you but have to say I am not surprised. Racism is in all of society and mostly it’s in subtle forms. I am sure there is racism in the NRA and some members are bigots, but I suspect it is in proportion to society and the NRA is no more racist than America in general. I found it to be less so – at least during my time at this year’s annual meeting.
Hi, Galen! I’m glad you had a positive experience. For the most part, so did I. I’ll be going back next year, and I hope more non-traditional demographics will show up and continue to further diversify the NRA. I too was thrilled to hear the gentleman at the annual meeting advocate for inclusion of more women and “minorities” (and I think I understand your hesitation with that term). I even wrote about that in my post from Saturday – https://frontsightpress.com/2017/04/my-first-nraam/. All things considered, I’d like to think there are lots of reasons for optimism. Thanks for chiming in!
I want to go to Dallas next year. Hopefully I will see you there!
Well written and eye opening for me, and I feel for you after reading it. Thank you very much for sharing. I was heartened that you spoke up and also at most of the responses.
Thanks, Corey. Doing my best.
TJ, exceptionally well written blog. I think it gets your point across perfectly. The only thing I’ll say is, be prepared for more. Now your radar will be on and you’ll start to hear and see more of the subtle signs. The question is, will you be able to brush them off the same way you have in the past because they’re not as shocking and traumatic as hearing the n-word? Will you want to? Ponder this, what if you weren’t there? What if you hadn’t have written this blog? Would anyone have called him out? Would anyone have written about it or talked about it? Would any of the other people who heard it have called him a racist, the way people are now after reading your blog? The answer is no. It would’ve just been another conversation at the NRAAM and none of those people would’ve even remembered it. Why does that matter? Because it tells you that your friend is no different than the other 80,000+ people who were there. He’s not any more racist than them, and he’s actually probably a lot less racist than many of them. That’s just reality. I personally wouldn’t call him racist, because that word has too many connotations that really probably don’t apply. He’s moreso just ignorant, racially insensitive, and subconsciously biased. Those descriptions might not sound as bad as being outright racist, but how do they manifest themselves? Let me give you some examples:
12 year old black kid is shot by police because he’s playing with a toy gun in the park – “Well he shouldn’t have been playing around with a toy gun.” “Where were his parents? He obviously wasn’t raised right.” “He probably would’ve grown up to be a criminal anyway.”
Riots occur after a hockey game or a pumpkin festival. – ::silence::
Riots occur after another black person dies in police custody, or is unarmed but shot in the back. – “Animals acting like animals.” “All lives matter.”
Receives equivalent employment or rental applications from Becky and Takisha – Chooses Becky.
First black president is a liberal democrat. – “He’s not even American, he was born in Kenya.” “He’s a Muslim.” “He wants to destroy America.”
That’s racism in 2017. It’s not burning crosses and white hoods, it’s having black friends and colleagues who are fully accepted (proving an absence of racism), while simultaneously having subconscious biases that allow the throwing of the term “thug” at any black person who says or does anything you don’t like. While I’m sure use of the n-word at the NRA meeting was rare, I can assure you the examples I listed above were not. That is the world you have entered, and that is the labyrinth you are currently navigating.
Good to hear from you, Marcus. Glad you chimed in. Lots to think about here. Wish me luck.
I’m really saddened that you went through this, saddened and pissed off.
It’s all good, Paul. I think I could have handled it better, so at least I learned that about myself. Good to hear from you!
I’m so glad that you tapped me on the shoulder in the instructor’s update. And it was wonderful to see you at the ladies breakfast! I’m so sorry that you went through this and felt so all alone. I would have gladly joined you in that corner just to let you know that you weren’t and that not all of us white folks are assholes. I’ll see you at DARC next year and will hopefully run into you in Dallas. Hugs Tiffany…….
As you know, I worked a booth the whole show. I didn’t keep a tally, but I would estimate about 100 black guys and gals came by the booth.
Great! So glad to hear that. I knew there had to be more than just those few that I happened to see. Hoping next year there will be even more.
Tiffany, I’m so sorry you had to go through this.
I believe, and truly hope that I am correct, that this person does not represent most of us. I know he doesn’t represent me.
I value your writing, your contributions to the GBVC, your contributions to the 2A community. You’re always thoughtful and on point.
Thanks so much, David! And I know this incident wasn’t representative of any entire group. Honestly, I don’t even think it represented this guy in particular. He’s not some kind of flaming racist. He’s just a regular guy who apparently didn’t fully appreciate just how much baggage that word carries.
Tiffany, you’re great. Question, though–why do you want that guy’s forgiveness? I could easily understand if he apologized and you decided to accept his apology and forgive him. But how did you wrong him?
I’ve stopped attending NRAAM and distanced myself from the gun rights movement in general over the last year or two. Trying to lead a local club disillusioned me. I was very naive. I spent what felt like a ridiculous amount of time and effort trying to counterbalance racism and wild conspiracy thinking, and eventually I realized I was actually fighting the core of the group, and most of the members thought those guys were great and wondered why I was so uptight. I let it go. You’re awesome, and you’re nobody’s token, but it would be dishonest of me to pretend that many people don’t see black faces that way in this movement/culture. If you doubt it, ponder what Ted Nugent would have to say or do to be disgraced at NRA.
(You don’t really know me, but I was the guy who stole the baby in Craig’s learning lab session in Memphis a couple of years ago.)
Hey, Donnie! Thanks for chiming in. I felt like I owed him an apology for two things. First, I was wrong to let my mind go so negative in reaction to his comment. I should have kept my wits about me. That negativity spiraled into me unjustifiably doubting a lot of things that really had nothing to do with his comment, and that was wrong. In short, I let my emotions get the best of me, and I shouldn’t have. And second, I should have addressed it right there on the spot instead of excusing myself. Luckily, we know each other and have kept in touch, so we’re talking it out. It’s really been a learning experience for us both. But if it had been a stranger that I might never see again, my running away would have been a missed opportunity.
I do plan to return to NRAAM next year. I’m hoping that the NRA will slowly expand beyond the Ted Nugent wing. That might be naive as you said, but I sure hope not. Fingers crossed!
Hi Tiffany – I’m so sorry that you had to go through that… I’m also impressed with how you’re handling it. I don’t know if you’re a Christian, but the way you’re pursuing forgiveness and reconciliation (even though you are not in the wrong) is such a powerful testimony, and says a lot to me about your walk with God.
God bless you!
Thanks, Paul!
Thanks for writing about your experience and perspective as a black woman. Since reading your blog a couple of days ago I’ve been pondering on what I (an old, white guy) can do to differently. So you’ve achieved at least a small success by making me a little more aware. Also, thanks for pointing out the Gun Blog Variety Cast, it’s good stuff (especially your segment).
Great! Glad you like the podcast. Sean will be glad to hear that. Hope you’ll check us out every week!
Yep, Sean is indeed glad to hear it.
We didn’t make it to the NRAAM this year… first time in a few years I missed it… we hope to see you at future NRAAMs… and if you’re ever in southwest Ohio… stop on by… we’d be glad to have you over to break bread, grill something, shoot out back on the range… or sit and chat… because you sound like someone who we’d be better off in life knowing personally… because we sure enjoy your writing… here and for RangeMaster…
Dann and Judi
Thanks so much! I will definitely keep going to NRAAM. Overall I had a good experience. Looking forward to Dallas.
Don’t stop going. Exposure to the ignorant of something their ignorant about is the only way to cure it. I’m a white guy and only used that word once when in 5th grade and didn’t know the negativity or implications of it….after a whooping I’ll never forget from him, my father told me the meaning, origins, and implications of it. Never since! When I’m with white folks that use it I make a point to know it’s not welcome around me and after meeting Maj, hanging out with jay, and a few of the “other 12″as you said, there I felt a sense of excitement that the “old ways” and ignorance was being slowly erradicated but then I read this and my heart breaks. I cannot begin to fathom the uphill climb the black community has had in our industry but I think everyone that is an NRA member should read this and hopefully some will learn from it. Just know not all of us have that same thought process and don’t give up on the organization.
Thanks so much! I will definitely be back next year. You know, I’m kind of curious how many black folks were there really. I know it was more than 12 ? (that’s just how many I happened to personally see). 50? 100? I wonder… Looking forward to an increase in Dallas and beyond.
I am an adjunct law professor. Among other subjects, I teach a class called: “Gun Control Seminar.” For the past several years, I’ve supported gun rights in public debates, both at live events and in the media. Those experiences have led me to formulate a maxim that I teach to my law students. I tell them that they can use it freely so long as they properly attribute. Dulan’s Maxim: “No matter what side of any debate you are on, there will always be someone on your side you wish wasn’t on your side.”
This was powerful and eye-opening. Bless you for your strength, wisdom, kindness and persistence.
Thanks so much, Allen! Not sure about the wisdom part, but I’ve got persistence all day long! (Though my mom would call out stubbornness, LOL)
Tiffany…I’m really sorry that this happened to you, and I’m sorry I missed you at the NRA show. I would have loved to have met you. I sincerely hope that this will not put you off of those of us who do not think or behave like that, and come to next year’s show in Dallas. I’ll be there, and you will always be welcome as far as I’m concerned.
Thanks, David! And no, I can’t let a single incident like this rain on the whole parade. That day was rough, but the sun’s still a-shining! I look forward to returning to NRAAM next year. ?
Tiffany – The only thing I can offer is just write him off, and know his actions are a reflection of him, not you. One doesn’t need ‘friends’ who are so disingenuous. This world is full of two-faced folks, of every color, size, vocation, race, description … and I try my best to not waste my time on them. It’s their choice, as I don’t control their thoughts or actions – I only control mine. And, I’d say, be glad you learned the truth now, rather than later. It takes a while (a life time?) to sort through them all, discard the losers, and keep the real winners. Once you find a winner, though, it makes it all worthwhile.
So 1 or 2 Jerks out of 82,000 people at NRAAM make stupid/racist comments and all 82K are racist be extension ????? I meet insensitive a-holes all the time, so what. Toughen up Buttercup !!!
I saw lots of different people at NRAAM. Yes, mostly Whites, but some Blacks, and some of Oriental/Indian heritage. Maybe if you quit looking thru a racial prizm at every damn thing, you wouldn’t get your feelings hurt by insensitive jerks.
Thanks. Will keep that in mind.
I’ll be Tiffany’s anger translator a la Key and Peele, since she’s apparently too nice to tell you what you really need to hear:
Fuck you, from the very bottom of my black little heart. Not only did you completely misinterpret what Tiffany was saying, you also chose to be a dick about it.
I’m here to second Sara Cade’s astute anger translation. I’m also here to tell Tiffany that women like her and Sara give me hope for a new generation of the NRA.
I have avoided the NRA convention because celebrities like Donald Trump, Sarah Palin and Ted Nugent do not represent me. But maybe I’ve been looking at this from the wrong pespective. Maybe people who are sick of this shit can make some progress by showing up and standing up for each other.
Tiffany, if you’re going back next year I’ll be there too. Thanks for leading the way.
Hey Malyssa! I’m definitely going next year. Maybe we should get together and all go as a group…? Hmm…..
Get fucked, Francis. I’ve been involved in gun culture, in some cases very deeply for the last 15 years or so. Stuff like this is not an isolated incident. I’ve seen lots of things that make this particular incident look mild. People say all sorts of ugly things when they think they’re in company that thinks the same way as them.
At the last gunshow I went to, there were all sorts of confederate flags, and three booths selling copies of the Turner Diaries. That was this year. Gun culture has a damn big problem with this stuff, and I am well and truly sick of people trying to minimize how incredibly unwelcoming this can be to anyone who isn’t a straight white guy.
Y’all are welcome to try to figure out why there aren’t many black folks or other minorities involved with the NRA, but Tiffany more or less just anecdotally told you why this might be the case, and you told her to toughen up. Good job with the outreach, asshole.
Tiffany, feel free to delete this if it doesn’t meet your standards. I’m sorry to come into your digital living room and use coarse language, but this kind of thing is getting progressively harder for me to sit back and be nice about.
Great post Sarah Jane. I am also aware of this problem in 2A culture and see it. I have gotten some hostility at the range and in gun stores. There are a lot of white supremacists in California.
I love the NRA overall though and am a passionate member. There is diversity in the group but hope we go further to educate ALL of society on the importance of the 2A and our rights.
I’ve been “into” guns for about 20 years now. I’ve joined the NRA once or twice, but I can’t stay with them, because they always do or say something that angers me to my soul. The last one was the African-American who told an officer he was legally carrying a firearm and was shot for it. The one where his girlfriend videoed the whole thing. The one where the NRA protested loudly about police overreach and brutality and a citizen’s RKBA–oh, wait, that last part didn’t happen! Nope, *crickets* from the NRA.
The NRA is a gun lobby machine. I’m not sure who it serves. I don’t think it’s shooters. Oh, we benefit, no doubt, but we aren’t its primary focus. It’s pro-cop. It’s neo-conservative. It’s Republican–it doesn’t even try to reach out to liberals. It doesn’t feel as though it has to. It’s the 800 pound gorilla of gun rights, and it’ll do what it damn well pleases. Well, so do I–my dollars go to other lobbying groups.
I’m Jewish, and I’ve become inured to the gun show Nazis and white supremacists. Most of the folks there sort of grit their teeth and take a libertarian attitude about it. I’m all for libertarianism, but these are private events; it’s long past time for the gun community to make them take their sick circus sideshows elsewhere. But they won’t, and I’ve stopped going to gun shows.
The NRA is trying to do “outreach” to non-traditional gun owners, which is commendable, but of course self-serving (gotta rake in fresh money). But it won’t do any good until it rids itself of the haters and Johnny Rebs and buffoons (paging Mr. Nugent), and all the elements that contradict their supposed love of American freedoms.
Hang in there, Tiffany. I wish I had something better to tell you.
Thanks, David. In my wildest pipedreams, a giant continent of those non-traditional gun owners would show up at the next NRA meeting together and have a great big coming out party. I know we’re out there, but many are either in the shadows or entirely alienated from the NRA. You hang in there too, and thanks for chiming in. 🙂
Hmm. Speaking of insensitive jerks — do you realize that using “Oriental” is considered racist when applied to people? Better to use “Asian” if you can’t be more specific in the future.
God Tiffany, I’m sorry that happened to you. And I’m sorry about asshats like that and idiots who argue on Maj’s page that there’s no such thing as institutional racism and I’m sorry that “post-racial” America is more like the Hunger Games and a KKK rally combined and I’m sorry that the gun world just fucking sucks at being inclusive. Some of us are working on it. I know I’m a white soccer mom, but this matters to me. I’d love to talk with you more on this.
Absolutely. I’d be happy to. Email me any time. The form on the Contact page goes to my inbox. Thanks for reaching out. 🙂
Sorry to hear about your bad experience.
I’m visiting New Mexico from Australia now and went to local gun club meeting last night and everyone was welcoming. Most shooters always are around the world
I can’t understand some people’s attitudes. Guess I was lucky in having parents who brought me up in a very diverse country
I agree. By far, the vast majority of shooters I meet are absolutely awesome people!
I’m the NRA and I love you, Tiffany.
Hi Tiffany. I’m sorry you had to go through that. ?
Your post generated an excellent discussion on FB if you’re interested.
Really? Wow – Interesting! Thanks for sharing. I’ll definitely check it out.