Is there a place for blacks in gun culture?

Is there a place for blacks in the gun culture?

 That question has been very pressing question in the african american community. The NRA states that guns are supposed to be used for safety and protection. If this is true, why are guns almost exclusively marketed towards white culture. Well this history can be traced back to the years after the civil war. The black generation after the civil war was known as the “freedom generation”. During the years of the Freedom Generation, the first gun control laws were enacted. These laws restricted blacks from owning guns in order to maintain their freedom status. Although many blacks were being freed during this time, they were met with gun laws that restricted them. Older white Americans believed that it would not be in the best interest of America if poor blacks were given guns. They suggested it would be a recipe for disaster. 

Although blacks have had a hard time fighting for gun rights, the black race is disproportionately the victims of violent crimes. This is especially true for poor blacks who live in crime ridden neighborhoods. These laws do in fact discriminate against a people who actually depend on it for protection. Many families in my church(which is in a less affluent neighborhood in Memphis) own guns in their homes. They aren't bad people, but they realize they are at a disadvantage when calling the police because of response time and overall protection. Today the laws are very similar those after the civil war. For example, in Massachusetts it is a criminal offense if aliens are in a possession of a gun. In all honesty, that law doesn't pertain to European immigrants, but minorities.  I found it very interesting that many of the leading handgun prohibitionists from New York are well-off people who live in high security neighborhood. These same people are the ones persuading people in crime ridden neighborhoods to give up their means of protection. In conclusion, it is important that blacks, especially poor blacks have a place in gun culture. These black families must have a sense of protection that isn't offered to them by the police force. It is a fact that civilian ownership of guns is a deterrent to violent crimes.