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African Americans in shooting competition?


teegray1124

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On April 19, 2017 at 8:21 PM, Jollymon32 said:

I never really understood this 'African American' nonsense.  They are Black.  Just like I am brown.  I am not Colombian American, My wife is not a Chinese American she is yellow.  None of my black friends think they are from Africa or even consider themselves African.  Black is a color, it is not a bad word.

 

Well...  Hold on a second.  I have a friend that is from Africa and is now a US citizen.  He's from South Africa and is Caucasian. He is an African American.   So, not all African Americans are black.  And he does consider himself African American.  

 

He served in the South African army and is big into shooting sports.  Your "nonsense" is a generalization that you are using to classify anyone that may be an African American as black. Which is far from reality. 

 

Besides, who cares?  We are all Americans.  And if we all are not, who cares.  Let go out and shoot, have a great time, make some friends, and possibly introduce someone new to the sport.  Be they purple with white polka dots, green, orange or sky blue.  

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29 minutes ago, Sleddog30 said:

 

Well...  Hold on a second.  I have a friend that is from Africa and is now a US citizen.  He's from South Africa and is Caucasian. He is an African American.   So, not all African Americans are black.  And he does consider himself African American.  

 

He served in the South African army and is big into shooting sports.  Your "nonsense" is a generalization that you are using to classify anyone that may be an African American as black. Which is far from reality. 

 

Besides, who cares?  We are all Americans.  And if we all are not, who cares.  Let go out and shoot, have a great time, make some friends, and possibly introduce someone new to the sport.  Be they purple with white polka dots, green, orange or sky blue.  

I am a TEXAN! I don't associate with the rest of the socialized continent!

 

the bench

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33 minutes ago, teegray1124 said:

 


What does that mean, I'm a Texan as well.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

 

 

That you should like Lone Star or Pearl beer.

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I've been off and on in the ski industry for many years, perhaps the demographics are similar ~ disposable income, traditionally caucasian. And I wonder if anyone who isn't a caucasian can point to any instance of actual racial discrimination at a shooting range, ski area, or related service? In our lifetimes at least. 

 

Not that there aren't some cold stares and stiff shoulders amongst some if, say, you have the "wrong" type of gun... like when you try to shoot fancy clays with  plastic shotgun. Or put your ski boots on the wrong foot. But that's attributed to some people simply being grumpy jerks. When I was a kid I used to have a truck with NY plates and a head of curly black hair so when I stopped in a Nebraska farm town for a beer some giant drunken blonde farm kids took to teasing me about being a NYer (I grew up on a farm 350 miles from NYC but no matter). If I pressed it then it might have gotten ugly, 5 against 1. But you smile and extract yourself from a sketchy situation as smoothly as possible. 

 

That's life. 

 

Most of the jerks I know are equal opportunity ones and awful to their own kind just as well if not more so. But my experience has been that 95-99% of people are pretty fair minded and nice. Maybe there is still some residue fear and racism in a few but isn't the best counter to that is to represent yourself well and be friendly, win people over by showing them you're a decent person yourself? Seems like the best revenge. 

 

I don't think anyone likes to patronized or treated special because of some physical characteristic they can't control. 

Edited by Frankly
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I've actually noticed that as well; we have mostly whites and Asians who shoot, and I wondered why there weren't more African Americans interested in competition - numbers more in tune with the demographics of the area.  My guess is that there isn't as much of a heritage of gun ownership, a lot due to our history of racism.  It wasn't that long ago that gun ownership was made difficult for the African American population.  In 1956, Martin Luther King Jr. applied for a permit for concealed carry permit in a "may issue" state and was denied, even though he was receiving death threats.  While he was able to own guns, I think it was made more difficult and not a positive experience.  With the past hurdles and prejudice many black families may just not have owned guns and didn't pass that culture of gun ownership on to their kids.  In a recent Pew Research Center survey, only 19% of blacks said they had a pistol, rifle, or shotgun in the home, compared to 41% of whites.  And when African Americans make up 12.6% of the population in America, and only a small percentage of that number owns a gun to begin with, and then there are only 25,000 USPSA members.... the numbers are going to naturally be small.  In another Pew study, 54% of African Americans believed that guns could prevent them from being a victim of crime; so I think that more people are seeing the positive side of gun ownership, like through the work of Colion Noir, and gun ownership is on the rise... and then so will participation in USPSA!  That's just my guess, though. 

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6 hours ago, teegray1124 said:

 


What does that mean, I'm a Texan as well.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

 

It means I am a Texan, and I choose to not associate with the rest of the transgendered monstrosity in the rest of the country..I'm a Texan first and an American second

 

the bench

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have two primary hobbies. The first (and primary) hobby is competitive fencing, Epee and Foil. I have competed in the sport for approx. 20 years. My second hobby is action shooting sports with revolver, 1911, shotgun, and AR-15 type rifle, or a mixture of the previous. I have competed in the action shooting sports for approx 12 years. I am a rated fencing director (referee) along with being a USPSA RO, and formerly an IDPA SO (accidentally let the certification lapse, and have not taken the class to get it back). 

 

I have often been told by people when they find out that I am a fencer, that I am the first fencer that they have ever met (There are over 400 registered fencers in my state alone). They are even more surprised that I competed on the varsity level in college (Foil). In the shooting sports arena, I have become known (mainly for just being me and present) around the region that my state is in largely due to being one of the few African-Americans to compete. I do primarily compete with a revolver (when I am not doing a multi-gun event), which causes me to stand out a bit.  

 

I on occasion still "catch attitudes" from some other competitors, but for the most part the, "an armed society is a polite society" prevails. I have had a few friends that I have brought to club matches find some of the other competitors personalities a bit "abrasive". This was mainly from a competitor being a bit "holier than thou", which rubbed my friend the wrong way. For the most part the experience was positive I was told by them.

 

Just my experience...

Edited by Blueridge
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15 hours ago, Blueridge said:

I have two primary hobbies. The first (and primary) hobby is competitive fencing, Epee and Foil. I have competed in the sport for approx. 20 years. My second hobby is action shooting sports with revolver, 1911, shotgun, and AR-15 type rifle, or a mixture of the previous. I have competed in the action shooting sports for approx 12 years. I am a rated fencing director (referee) along with being a USPSA RO, and formerly an IDPA SO (accidentally let the certification lapse, and have not taken the class to get it back). 

 

I have often been told by people when they find out that I am a fencer, that I am the first fencer that they have ever met (There are over 400 registered fencers in my state alone). They are even more surprised that I competed on the varsity level in college (Foil). In the shooting sports arena, I have become known (mainly for just being me and present) around the region that my state is in largely due to being one of the few African-Americans to compete. I do primarily compete with a revolver (when I am not doing a multi-gun event), which causes me to stand out a bit.  

 

I on occasion still "catch attitudes" from some other competitors, but for the most part the, "an armed society is a polite society" prevails. I have had a few friends that I have brought to club matches find some of the other competitors personalities a bit "abrasive". This was mainly from a competitor being a bit "holier than thou", which rubbed my friend the wrong way. For the most part the experience was positive I was told by them.

 

Just my experience...

Well, we like shooting with you! We don't care if you fence or not. We definitely need to get you into limited though. It's so much more funner.

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2 hours ago, levellinebrad said:

Well, we like shooting with you! We don't care if you fence or not. We definitely need to get you into limited though. It's so much more funner.

Hey! I just this year started shooting single stack. I am still in mourning from the change to doing that:(, and it is too soon to consider another division. <_< Revolver Division is calling me back, and maybe sometime mid fall I will answer the call. :)

 

Currently I have to get ready for the US Fencing Nationals this summer. I have 3 events (Vet40 Mens Epee, Division 2 Mens Epee, & Division 3 Mens Epee) in four days at nationals.:blink:

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I shoot at a higher-end range in Midtown Atlanta.  There are plenty of African Americans shooting there on Saturdays and Sundays (when I usually go).  Not sure how many of them compete, though.
 
As an interesting aside, the range is near Georgia Tech and I am always surprised to see the high percentage of younger, college-aged (maybe even "hipster"-like) shooters that I see.  If you saw these people on the street, you would think that they fit the profile of liberals, but nonetheless they are out in force enjoying shooting in high numbers at this range.  

Where is this range? I went to Tech many many years ago but still go back occasionally. It would be fun to check it out.
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/10/2017 at 9:24 AM, Thomas H said:

I live in Nebraska, where the percentage of the population that is non-Caucasian folks is extremely small.

 

And yet, there are plenty of non-Caucasian folks who shoot competitions around here.

 

I think that the considering how expensive this sport is, the real bar to participation is cost, and thus poverty stats would probably show as being much more important in terms of demographics that anything else.

This. I am an AA male in my late 40s. I have been a very active competitive shooter since I was 30. That is when I became able to afford the shooting sports. I was an activate recreational shooter long before age 30, but the costs associated with formal competition prevented me from participating sooner. There are cultural barriers on both sides but that is true with many things. Leisure activities are expensive. They are designed for upper middle class people. That does not describe most black folks.

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On 5/8/2017 at 10:50 PM, benchmstr said:

It means I am a Texan, and I choose to not associate with the rest of the transgendered monstrosity in the rest of the country..I'm a Texan first and an American second

 

the bench

 

I hope you're not serious. If you are I volunteer to take up a collection to buy you a one-way plane ticket to anywhere outside the USA. Preferably somewhere extremely dangerous.

 

Even if you are joking, this posting should not be allowed.  

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1 hour ago, Brooke said:

 

I hope you're not serious. If you are I volunteer to take up a collection to buy you a one-way plane ticket to anywhere outside the USA. Preferably somewhere extremely dangerous.

 

Even if you are joking, this posting should not be allowed.  

 

I am fine with his statement.  The reason the US, for the most part, has remained a civil union of States, is because our constitution is very respectful of the individual State's rights.  That we have forgotten this crucial concept, the individualistic nature of our republic, and that we are leaning towards a unified federalistic system is a recipie for failure.  Our only Civil War was a result of Federlistic policies.  The ability to have States that do not buy into the touchy feelly, snowflake, transgender, homosexual agenda right next to a State that does, is what keeps us a civilized Union.  Move to whatever State suits your lifestyle, do not force manly men to accept girly men ideals and we will all be happy.

 

 

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41 minutes ago, Jollymon32 said:

 

I am fine with his statement.  The reason the US, for the most part, has remained a civil union of States, is because our constitution is very respectful of the individual State's rights.  That we have forgotten this crucial concept, the individualistic nature of our republic, and that we are leaning towards a unified federalistic system is a recipie for failure.  Our only Civil War was a result of Federlistic policies.  The ability to have States that do not buy into the touchy feelly, snowflake, transgender, homosexual agenda right next to a State that does, is what keeps us a civilized Union.  Move to whatever State suits your lifestyle, do not force manly men to accept girly men ideals and we will all be happy.

 

 

BOOM.

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4 hours ago, Brooke said:

 

I hope you're not serious. If you are I volunteer to take up a collection to buy you a one-way plane ticket to anywhere outside the USA. Preferably somewhere extremely dangerous.

 

Even if you are joking, this posting should not be allowed.  

Free speech shouldn't be allowed? This is why I don't associate with lesser states..if you can't respect other people's constitutional rights, then I have nothing for you.

 

i choose Texas because it's one of the last few saving bastions in the union that hasn't been neutered by liberal bleeding heart special snowflake types such as yourself, who are hell bent on taking other people's constitutional rights for special interests.

 

the bench

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2 hours ago, Jollymon32 said:

 

I am fine with his statement.  The reason the US, for the most part, has remained a civil union of States, is because our constitution is very respectful of the individual State's rights.  That we have forgotten this crucial concept, the individualistic nature of our republic, and that we are leaning towards a unified federalistic system is a recipie for failure.  Our only Civil War was a result of Federlistic policies.  The ability to have States that do not buy into the touchy feelly, snowflake, transgender, homosexual agenda right next to a State that does, is what keeps us a civilized Union.  Move to whatever State suits your lifestyle, do not force manly men to accept girly men ideals and we will all be happy.

 

 

Exactly!!

 

the bench

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1 hour ago, benchmstr said:

Free speech shouldn't be allowed? This is why I don't associate with lesser states..if you can't respect other people's constitutional rights, then I have nothing for you.

 

i choose Texas because it's one of the last few saving bastions in the union that hasn't been neutered by liberal bleeding heart special snowflake types such as yourself, who are hell bent on taking other people's constitutional rights for special interests.

 

the bench

Attitude
Please be polite. Or if not polite, at least respectful.
No bickering. Regardless of the subject matter.
Antagonistic, offensive, or quarrelsome tones are not acceptable.
No trolling. No alternate accounts.

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4 hours ago, GrumpyOne said:

Attitude
Please be polite. Or if not polite, at least respectful.
No bickering. Regardless of the subject matter.
Antagonistic, offensive, or quarrelsome tones are not acceptable.
No trolling. No alternate accounts.

so, someone wishes violence against me for a non-violent post and I respond....yet, I am the one with attitude?

 

very objective of you...

 

the bench

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