Black Guns Matter to Sponsor SHOT Show 2018

Maj Toure, the founder of Black Guns Matter. (Photo: Black Guns Matter)

In a world filled with armchair activists and keyboard commandos, Maj Toure of Black Guns Matter stands out. He stands out because he is neither. He is a boots-on-the-ground, not-afraid-to-get-my-hands-dirty 2A revolutionary.  Maj talks the talk, but more importantly, he walks the walk.

A hip-hop artist from north Philly, Toure doesn’t proclaim the virtues of the 2A on the web from a comfy couch in his living room. Nope. He goes directly to the people. And I’m not talking about preaching to the choir at your local gun club or suburban shooting center, though I’m sure he’s lectured at those venues before, too. I’m talking about the hood. Places that are known more for gun violence than gun safety.

See, what Toure is attempting to do is spread the gospel of guns to the forgotten. Those inner city denizens who’ve had their right to self-defense all but vanquished in the name of “public safety.” People who’ve been told by politicians their whole life that the government will keep them safe, only to be let down time and time again.  Folks who need their right to keep and bear arms as much, if not more than, anyone else.

Educating young people on their 2A rights. (Photo: BGM)

SEE ALSO: Huffpo Investigates ‘Why Black People Own Guns’

It’s excellent work he is doing.  Which is why I’m super pleased to hear that he is been added to the list of sponsors at SHOT Show 2018, which is just a few weeks away!  Jan. 23-26 in Las Vegas.

Giving a lecture on firearm safety. (Photo: BGM)

John McNamara, senior director of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms trade association, spoke about what it means to have Toure on board this year.

“The era of cultural divide when it comes to firearms ownership should be a thing of the past, and thanks to the work of Maj Toure and Black Guns Matter, we’re a lot closer to that being a realization,” McNamara told the Washington Examiner.

“He’s putting his money where his mouth is through this sponsorship, but his real impact will be in the ‘Black Guns Matter: Engaging Urban Communities in the 2nd Amendment Fight’ Retailer Seminar he’ll be conducting,” he continued.

SEE ALSO: NPR ‘More Blacks Support Concealed Carry’

I’m going to see if I can attend that seminar while I’m there.  I bet it’s great.  Though I’ve never met the man, I’m a big fan of his messaging.  Consider this quote he gave to HuffPo for a piece they ran on “Why Black People Own Guns.”  The emphasis is mine.

We give classes free to all on firearm safety, on knowing the law, on how to apply state laws and for different permits, how to get a license to carry in your particular town, who are some trainers that you can work with. We work with trainers locally for whatever city, lawyers that know firearm laws, the Sanskrit, the basics, conflict resolution, de-escalation tactics. And We give lessons on basics, so in essence it’s a class on the Second Amendment, on human rights, on civics, firearm safety and the cultural differences between communities.

And that’s to put people on the path to good citizenship. When you start paying attention to the Second Amendment, you start having more of a value for all of the other amendments. That creates good citizens: people who are politically active, who are going to their school board meetings, who are seeing what’s up with budgets, talking to their city councils, talking to their state representatives. We’re getting them involved politically on most angles.

That’s so spot on.  Appreciation for the 2A increases a citizen’s sense of responsibility.  Not just individually, but civically as well.  For ruling elites, oligarchs, and tyrants, there is nothing scarier than a well-armed, informed, and politically engaged citizenry.  What is otherwise known as a free people.