Baltimore’s war on guns has actually become a war on African Americans living in the city, according to a recent New York Times report.
“The war on guns, like the war on drugs, is primarily waged on poor people by small operations units that drive around in unmarked cars looking for trouble,” the NYT’s notes.
The “poor people” cited in the story are Baltimore’s black citizens.
According to the NYT’s, the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force target black citizens in the name of seizing firearms.
"Right-wing fears about people kicking in the doors of wealthy white gun owners to take away their arms might seem laughable. But that is precisely the kind of thing the task force was doing to the mostly black citizens of Baltimore." https://t.co/PI7XRgWjRq
— Jesse Walker (@notjessewalker) May 14, 2019
The NYT’s reports:
Right-wing fears about people kicking in the doors of wealthy white gun owners to take away their arms might seem laughable. But that is precisely the kind of thing the task force was doing to the mostly black citizens of Baltimore. And when progressives call for gun control in a city where many of the guns are already illegal, they are calling either for tougher penalties or for more squads like the task force.
Journalist Kaila Philo tweeted:
.@baynardwoods and @notrivia on how Baltimore's war on guns is really a war on black citizens https://t.co/8LnydYP2YV pic.twitter.com/B8aiVNgkRm
— Kaila Philo (@kailanthropie) May 14, 2019
Second Amendment Advocates Deemed Racist
Proponents of gun control often portray Second Amendment advocates as racists, but the truth is some of the earlier pushes for gun restrictions were rooted in racism, with white supremacists of the past fearing an armed minority population.
The fear that once we quit obeying the Second Amendment that government agents will come to your home to seize your firearms is a valid one, with 2020 Democratic candidate and Senator Cory Booker even recently calling for mass gun confiscation. Baltimore’s black citizens are apparently learning this in brutal fashion.
Perhaps the NRA and other pro-gun organizations should shine light on this controversy? While no one is defending illegal gun ownership, how many legal carriers and even innocent people who may or may not own a firearm are getting caught up in this mess? How many rights are abused?
Liberals who advocate for gun control never think about the unintended consequences. Baltimore’s current war on African Americans is yet another example.