Article from For Liberty by Norm Leahy.

Gun rights have long divided the left and right in American politics. But those lines may soon be scrambled, as more African-Americans begin to embrace their Second Amendment rights.

As Jon Miltimore writes:

Appearing on MSNBC in May following the death of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old black man fatally shot in Georgia, Charlamagne tha God said owning a firearm was a reasonable means of self-defense for African Americans.

“I wish that brother (Arbery) had a gun on him while he was jogging so he could have defended himself,” said Charlamagne, a radio presenter, TV personality, and author. “They hunted him down like he was a deer….And I would also tell all my brothers and sisters out there to go buy yourself a legal firearm and learn how to use it so you can protect yourself and your family.”

This response confused the MSNBC host:

TV journalist Alex Witt appeared shocked by Charlamagne’s suggestion that black Americans should arm themselves. She offered Charlamagne an opportunity to revise his response, suggesting that seeking reforms in the legal system was a better path than “attacking” people.

Charlamagne disagreed. He pointed out that he was encouraging black Americans to purchase legal arms to defend themselves and their families, not attack others, adding that he had little faith in America’s legal system.

“As far as the justice system, I don’t have any faith in the justice system,” Charlamagne said. “Since I don’t have any faith in the legal system, that’s why I’m telling all my brothers and sisters out there to go buy yourself a legal firearm and learn how to use it so you can protect yourself against these kinds of threats.”

It’s refreshing to see such an exchange on a cable news network, where groupthink is often valued far above original opinion.

But this is also a reminder the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right to bear arms is universal to all citizens.  Even those who host shows on MSNBC.

Image Credit: By KAZ Vorpal (Flickr: Declaration of Independence, with Firearm) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons