Featured RECOIL 53 is Live Featuring Black Guns Matter Icon Maj Toure Iain Harrison January 14, 2021 4 Comments, Join the Conversation With everything that’s happened in the past 12 months, you’d expect that someone in the firearms publishing biz would have something to say on the subject of guns and race. And yet, the silence has been deafening. RECOIL has a history of tackling uncomfortable topics — ones that old-school, established media in this space would rather ignore. So rather than sweep it under the rug, we decided to kick off that conversation by bringing in one of the most ardent proponents of the Second Amendment in the Black community. As a whole, we gun owners are overwhelmingly white and male, and, to date, any efforts to change that have tended to be perfunctory and patronizing. Now, you could take the position that no change is necessary, but you’d probably be consigning the 2A to the dusty annals of history if you did. Without bringing in people who don’t look like the stereotypical gun owner, demographics alone will ensure that in a couple of generations our cherished rights as we know them will no longer exist. That trajectory is baked in. Among the almost 8-million new gun owners joining our ranks in 2020, Black gun ownership rose proportionally more than any other market sector. This alone indicates there’s an increasing appreciation for the benefits of gun ownership and a hunger for knowledge about a subject that’s traditionally fallen outside the narrowly defined parameters of what’s considered socially acceptable in that community. But anti-gun politicians will do their damnedest to ensure their constituents stay on the plantation, toeing the established line and conforming to a stereotype every bit as entrenched as the one that gun owners are supposed to adhere to. It’s time that changed. The Second Amendment is for everyone, and it’s up to us as individuals to bring that message to as many people as possible. No matter their gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, or color of their skin. If, and Even Against Censorship The Zinio Edition of this Issue of RECOIL Magazine is available on Zinio right now. For $6, Subscribe to the Digital Edition of RECOIL Magazine for $1 an Issue, starting with the one featuring with Maj Toure, and continuing for 5 more. Subscribe on Zinio Here, for $1 an Issue. Explore RECOILweb:Situational Awareness - a reminder from Armed and Feminine"Gun District" - Facebook for pro Second Amendment people?Everyman Tactical - Workaday Gear In UseThe Firearms Industry Choice Awards NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.
I do think that the “gun community/ industry” should welcome African Americans and other minority groups as they become gun owners and seek out information on how to become more responsible and well informed gun owners. It is patronizing when gun companies and the industry market toward minorities by using imagery dripping in stereotypes and phrasing that imply being pro gun or anti gun is the difference between being on the plantation vs emancipated.
"As a whole, we gun owners are overwhelmingly white and male..." Citation needed! Black people in the US have a long, rich tradition of arms. That tradition exists outside the purview of much of America largely because 1) firearms are not broadly fetishized by black Americans but are perceived primarily as tools to perform a function, and 2) because openly carrying firearms brings with it the risk of unwanted attention by the police.
Just read the article in the magazine. Can't wait until it's posted here so I can share more widely. "If you are running a business, wouldn't it make sense to tap a new market instead of going back to the Black-Rifle-Coffee drinking gun dude"?
