Black Gun-Rights Group Founder Weighs in on Gun Control Measures

Bearing Arms interviewed Phillip A. Smith, founder and president of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA) to get his take on gun control measures leftist politicians are set to push.

The Second Amendment is a civil rights issue, considering the government’s history to disarm black Americans. They should be at the forefront of the gun-rights movement, whether they want to own guns or not. Guns promote and protect freedom. Each of us has a natural right to defend ourselves, and America’s founders ensured that individuals may keep and bear arms to do so. We all know that law-abiding people will obey gun-control laws; criminals won’t. These laws leave people who need protection the most vulnerable.

“I really struggle when I hear politicians, whoever they are, put out legislation that’s really not going to address the issue,” Smith told Cam Edwards. “I’m all for going after the bad guys; if you’re a violent criminal you need to get put away forever. I’m firmly in that camp. But at the same time, we need to take a step back and look at not the symptom, but the disease.”

Smith added that he’s “not excited” about gun control. “I’ll say this, just so everyone knows who’s listening to me. In our organization and myself when I represent my organization, we don’t typically comment on politicians but we will adamantly and vigorously talk about policies like we’re doing today. And I think any time you have policies that are coming down the pipeline that, to me, are just reckless and they go after the wrong group of folks time and time again – it’s like the effort is at any turn or stop to have something there that’s going to make it difficult to get a firearm. That’s just the wrong mindset.”

Bearing Arms says that NAAGA boasts over 40,000 members and is open to all races. This organization, like Black Guns Matter, founded by Maj Toure, stresses gun training and safety. These groups also seek to change the perception of guns. Toure said that one perception in black communities is that if a person has a gun, he’s either a criminal or a cop.