Al Sharpton: 90% of my callers support the Supreme Court’s gun rights decision
posted at 7:06 pm on June 30, 2010 by Allahpundit
A good one via the Radio Equalizer, and a perfect illustration of my point last night about how gun-rights supporters have won the national debate on this issue. A law-abiding citizen has the right to protect himself, especially when the police can’t protect him: In a sane world, there’d be nothing partisan about that point of view. And increasingly, there isn’t.
Speaking of self-defense, and in light of the good reverend’s surprise that his audience might feel this way, for your companion reading I want you to dive into the history lesson tucked away in Clarence Thomas’s concurrence in Monday’s gun-rights decision. Scroll down to page 41 of his opinion (page 107 of 214 in the total PDF document) and go from there. Remember, this was a case about whether the Fourteenth Amendment, which was passed after the Civil War to protect the rights of blacks against racist state governments, guarantees the right to bear arms to an American citizen when the local authorities try to take it away. Thomas’s answer: How could it not, when grabbing guns from slaves and freed slaves was one of the chief means used by states to keep blacks powerless? So striking was Thomas’s argument on this point that WaPo columnist Courtland Milloy — who was last seen threatening to punch tea partiers in the face — wrote a near love letter to him in today’s edition. It is the guns that unite us, my friends. Exit question: Thomas’s finest hour?
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For perhaps the first time I think Al Sharpton is telling the truth.
novaculus on June 30, 2010 at 7:10 PM
More legal guns on the streets, homes, schools, = less violence
Who’s gonna risk doing half the garbage hoodlums pull if 90% of the population is carrying a gun?
The Gun debate is settled.
portlandon on June 30, 2010 at 7:10 PM
This level of honesty from Sharpton is surprising.
CrazyGene on June 30, 2010 at 7:10 PM
Yes, how interesting that black families may be tired of violence.
amerpundit on June 30, 2010 at 7:11 PM
He was dragged, kicking and screaming to a fundamental truth. Think of it as psychological waterboarding.
trapeze on June 30, 2010 at 7:12 PM
What is the violence like in states with less gun control compared to states that have the most, I wonder? (not just including cities)
Narutoboy on June 30, 2010 at 7:12 PM
See, in Chicago it’s different.
More armed guards around Daley + less guns in the hands of his citizens = less violence to Daley and more opportunity for him to talk about shoving guns up reporter’s rectums.
MadisonConservative on June 30, 2010 at 7:13 PM
Cops only come after the drama is over, to photograph the blood spatter, and pick up the corpses. The gun in your hand is what protects you till the cops show up, and in some neighborhoods that can seem like a lifetime, literally.
RBMN on June 30, 2010 at 7:13 PM
I was talking with a friend about this earlier this week; why do liberals hate guns/gun-owners? I suggested that it was their yearning to be more European My friend suggested it is their totalitarian instincts. What say you?
(It cannot be to reduce crime, because that is evidently not the case)
Aquateen Hungerforce on June 30, 2010 at 7:13 PM
Why is this man given any type of national forum?
the Coondawg on June 30, 2010 at 7:14 PM
It would be neat if gun organizations would start sponsoring gun safety and education programs and teaching the newly enfranchised city folk how to care for their weapons and how to fire them effectively. Even the government could get involved in this.
Buddahpundit on June 30, 2010 at 7:14 PM
Minneapolis is one of the safest big cities in the nation, and also happens to be one of the easiest big cities to get a concealed carry permit in.
MadisonConservative on June 30, 2010 at 7:14 PM
especially when the police
can’twon’t protect him:The police don’t protect people anymore. They don’t do much of anything in my neck of the woods.
upinak on June 30, 2010 at 7:18 PM
Illustrates well the disconnect of Sharpton from those he professes to speak for, given his pronouncements on the subject of 2A prior to this.
And in his life experience, he has never had to deal with the crap so many have. Insulated by money and traveling with in the grievance mongers echo chamber, where the average citizen is helpless without Al to trumpet for him.
I wonder if the real message, that he is holding people back instead of bringing them forward, through his “good works”, has got through.
Will he demand school vouchers next?
Harry Schell on June 30, 2010 at 7:19 PM
Hey Al, even minorities prefer freedom and the ability to make their own choices.
dentalque on June 30, 2010 at 7:19 PM
Heartache:
Apparently the folks are thinking Sotomayor isn’t such a wise Latina after all.
red winger on June 30, 2010 at 7:20 PM
Hardly Justice Thomas’ finest hour. He has been a stand out conservative since his appointment. And if having to paint the Second Amendment as some kind of racial equalizer is all that people can see of him, that is a shame.
I doubt the sincerity of most Democrat politicians. They have been trying to revoke the Second Amendment since it’s inception. I see it from my Washington State perspective. If Democrats could revoke the Second Amendment and suffer no repercussions they would in a heartflash. In Washington State challenging our right to keep and bear is a known loser, and the fastest way to get removed from office. But it is also well known that they only give the Second Amendment nothing more than lip service.
Hillary Clinton espouses the common Democrat opinion. While she was for the Second Amendment during her Presidential campaign, she is a proponent of the UN’s attempt to steal our right by treaty.
Rode Werk on June 30, 2010 at 7:20 PM
This is a nit, but very annoying to me, I haven’t been in radio in dogs years (during and after college), but Sharpton’s Uh, uh, uh, uh is extremely annoying and would land anyone else’s demo tape in the round file.
Chewy the Lab on June 30, 2010 at 7:21 PM
The ironic thing is there hasn’t been a greater equalizing factor in history than the invention of guns. Women and cerebral types wouldn’t like it very much if it was “rule by he/groups who could swing a stick with the most ferosity”. The gun brought about a pretty substantial intellectual evolution.
Buddahpundit on June 30, 2010 at 7:22 PM
Well its not like the democrats promised to give protection from violent crimes and a starkly reduced rate of victims if they gave up their weapons or anything…/
canditaylor68 on June 30, 2010 at 7:22 PM
Could not have said it better!
Chewy the Lab on June 30, 2010 at 7:22 PM
Al’s got steam coming out of his ears trying to figure out how to make a buck of this revelation.
This weekend wasn’t so hot though.
What always amazes me it how people come to the conclusion that gun laws in this country will make one bit of difference to a criminal or have any effect on a criminal getting his hands on a gun.
BigWyo on June 30, 2010 at 7:24 PM
Al Sharpton has a radio show…?
/
Seven Percent Solution on June 30, 2010 at 7:24 PM
Let see 90% were in agreement. If Bloomberg and Daley both called that means 18 callers were in favor.
Rocks on June 30, 2010 at 7:24 PM
Minneapolis is full of WIN.
More guns = Less violence
portlandon on June 30, 2010 at 7:25 PM
To clarify, I think Sharpton is telling the truth about his listeners response, no more. A majority have long been in favor of private gun ownership, and only the delusional thought differently. But the McDonald decision marks a clear turning point. Many on the DemLibProg left for whom gun control is not a major issue will now feel free to abandon the rhetoric they have been spouting.
Not that the battle is over. The next battlegrounds will be in places like Chicago, where Daley and his minions will attempt to prevent private gun ownership with oppressive taxes and regulatory requirements. We will soon see new rhetoric supporting these tactics as reasonable regulations.
novaculus on June 30, 2010 at 7:26 PM
What the hell kind of gun shoots plastic bullets? They’d melt if any gunpowder was involved. Do they mean rubber(nonlethal) bullets? If so, how did a 13 year old get their hands on nonlethal weaponry? And a pellet gun? I had one of those when I was a kid. My father and his friends shot each other with them all the time when they were kids. How do these count as “shootings?
Let’s have some more details about these “shootings”. Sounds like the Star Tribune wants to pad any numbers it can find.
MadisonConservative on June 30, 2010 at 7:30 PM
I notice this wide spread support for gun rights last night on HuffPo of all places… I nearly had to check that I was still reading that sites comment board. Most comments were in favor of the decision, and those against seemed to have a more wacky edge about them… As in, those who disagree with gun ownership were losing it en mass…
RalphyBoy on June 30, 2010 at 7:30 PM
This column is not going to unite us, that’s for sure. I’m not buying Milloy’s argument that Thomas sounds like the Black Panthers or Malcolm X, nor do I buy his clear implication that ‘the conservative white boys on the Supreme Court are racists’ (and I very much doubt that Thomas concurs with these conclusions).
Buy Danish on June 30, 2010 at 7:31 PM
Exactly. And remember in the Long Long Ago when the Chimperor was having his Reign of Terror and would cancel the election that would see him out of office? Seriously, if I believed what some of the more damaged liberals believed, I’d have stocked up on guns and ammo.
I do think it is sort of a cultural thing. It’s just so vulgar to own a gun. You really ought to be named Billy-Bob and have 3 teeth if you like guns. The way to deal with criminals is to reason with them, not threaten them with violence. It’s just so….. American (in the bad-flyover-country way).
W/e. I guess a post on how this is becoming a non-ideological issue is the wrong place for my points, but you know what I mean.
Aquateen Hungerforce on June 30, 2010 at 7:32 PM
A rapist/murderer is kicking in your daughter’s door and the police are minutes away.
What does she do?
Go for the phone or the .357 magnum?
I know what I’d do.
tru2tx on June 30, 2010 at 7:33 PM
For those not familiar with the facts, I recommend More Guns, Less Crime by John Lott.
In a nutshell, rates of crime against the person are lower in states that permit concealed carry than in states that don’t. States that have begun to permit concealed carry or broadened the right experience a drop in crime rates against the person.
The NRA sponsors safety and gun handling classes all over the country. Check their website.
novaculus on June 30, 2010 at 7:34 PM
Yeah, yer right. I heard the story on the radio this morning and didn’t really read the link I put up. Won’t surprise me to find out most of the other ones ‘lacking details’ will be along the same lines. Probably a Nerf gun in there some where.
My bad…really, really bad….gah…
BigWyo on June 30, 2010 at 7:35 PM
I suspect they are talking about Airsoft guns. They shoot plastic pellets.
As for pellet guns, some of them are quite powerful. When I was a kid we shot each other with our Daisy BB guns, stupid and dangerous actually, but I don’t think it was uncommon. But those old Daisy BB rifles don’t approach the power of modern pellet guns, some of which are actually more powerful than some firearms.
novaculus on June 30, 2010 at 7:41 PM
I own two and have been seriously thinking about numbers 3 and 4! Funny, it started with a collectors item gun, eh? Now it’s 9 mm and 40 caliber and I’m thinking about a 357 magnum rifle and handgun just so I can share ammo back and forth!
I WILL NO LONGER BE A SHEEPLE! FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!!!
Vntnrse on June 30, 2010 at 7:42 PM
I doubt that you’re really interested in finding out the answer to your question but it can be found in John Lott’s book, More Guns Less Crime. Lots of facts, lots of statistics, not many pictures.
Oldnuke on June 30, 2010 at 7:43 PM
Al Sharpton: 90% of my callers support the Supreme Court’s gun rights decision
————————–
So,utelizing a Liberal buzz word,there is “Consensus”!!
canopfor on June 30, 2010 at 7:43 PM
I’m considered an anomaly in my area because I only have 3 guns. Moved to this rural area 3 years ago and the last murder was a couple of years before that. Lots of guns not much crime except for the high schooler’s breaking into empty places to do their thing.
chemman on June 30, 2010 at 7:44 PM
I had a pellet gun about 20 years ago, when I was a kid. A shot ricocheted and stuck in my neck. It stung, but it was no danger.
MadisonConservative on June 30, 2010 at 7:46 PM
Rev. Al Sharpton may soon have to have a ‘come to Jesus’ moment on firearms: they really are a means of defending oneself not only from civil crime but from Private War inflicted upon us. The 14th was put in place to ensure that gun control laws aimed at Blacks in the South wouldn’t stand, and that Blacks would be able to protect themselves and their families. This is then not only a natural right and liberty, due to us being creatures of nature, but a civil right and liberty to ensure that we can protect ourselves, family and our material goods from those seeking to endanger them. Thusly it is a bulwark against tyrants great and small.
As for rubber or plastic shot, that is known for shotguns in Less Than Lethal loads (as well as flexible baton or ‘bean bag’ rounds). Shot from shotshells are protected by the wadding and cup from the heat of the propellent in the round… hard to get that with a normal pistol or shotgun unless you make shotshell rounds for them with such projectiles (you can get normal shotshells which are good against vermin for pistols and won’t harm aluminum siding but still nasty to flesh). Hard to keep up with everything LE has these days…
Have to love shotshells and the wonderful variety of them out there!
A strong vs weak State article on gun control laws was done at PJM a few days ago. Fascinating times we live in and would be much more interesting if it weren’t turning deadly serious so quickly.
ajacksonian on June 30, 2010 at 7:47 PM
The sheriff’s office out our way said not to bother calling just put the plastic bag out next to the paved highway and they would pick it up the next time they came by.
chemman on June 30, 2010 at 7:48 PM
Yeah, the do make some very powerful air guns these days but upon further review, and a little thought, it’s the Star Tribune…the SCOTUS just did the 2nd amendment thing…
Mad Con is probably right…the whole thing smells of LibSpaz hyperventilating….
BigWyo on June 30, 2010 at 7:49 PM
I’d recommend Jews for the Preservation of Firearms ownership.
They make the NRA seem like ‘Handgun Inc’.
annoyinglittletwerp on June 30, 2010 at 7:50 PM
Who really gives a rats ass if thirty of Al’s people approve of a decision that’s been the law of the land for over 200 years?
Rovin on June 30, 2010 at 7:51 PM
The do make pellet guns that have a muzzle velocity damn near close to a .22.
But again…that ain’t what what the Trib article is about.
BigWyo on June 30, 2010 at 7:51 PM
So recounting history is now “radical”? Brilliant concurrence, btw.
Patrick Ishmael on June 30, 2010 at 7:52 PM
I went to Walmart to buy a fishing rod and looked at their air-rifles. One of the Crossman models was .22 caliber and has a velocity of 1200 fps.
Holger on June 30, 2010 at 7:52 PM
Got the link wrong.
Try this.
annoyinglittletwerp on June 30, 2010 at 7:52 PM
Sharpton should take 20 mins out of his busy schedule to view this vid from jpfo.org. Funny? I would have thought Reverend Al would have had a bit more depth in Black History?
.
martywd on June 30, 2010 at 7:52 PM
When I’m in trouble, I dial 9MM.
Mirimichi on June 30, 2010 at 7:52 PM
Airguns have been around for a long time. They have even been used as military arms and hunting rifles around the time of the revolutionary war.
Oldnuke on June 30, 2010 at 7:53 PM
…but the article is about a pellet gun, not a .22. It’s like the difference between a tricycle and a motorcycle.
MadisonConservative on June 30, 2010 at 7:53 PM
Well, check out some of the newer models. Some of them have the power and shoot projectiles with enough mass to have a higher muzzle velocity and kinetic energy than a .22LR.
novaculus on June 30, 2010 at 7:53 PM
Oh My!!
*smak*
likewise
*Whap*
BigWyo on June 30, 2010 at 7:54 PM
You wonder what is wrong with the other 10%…
tarpon on June 30, 2010 at 7:54 PM
I’m not sure if your comment was tongue-in-cheek or serious, but the NRA and other gun rights groups have programs to teach gun safety and care. Of course, those positive programs don’t make the news, so I can understand if you weren’t aware of that fact.
ButterflyDragon on June 30, 2010 at 7:56 PM
I see what you did there???
BigWyo on June 30, 2010 at 7:59 PM
.22 caliber is very common for pellet guns.
novaculus on June 30, 2010 at 7:59 PM
They still believe that if they dial 911 the cops will rush to their aid and protect them from the bogey man.
chemman on June 30, 2010 at 7:59 PM
Maybe so, but he’s still the same old sh*t disturbor ; The Irrelevant”Mr. Potato Head”
cableguy615 on June 30, 2010 at 8:03 PM
Oh and by the way is it all your listeners Mr. Potato Head ?? Both?
cableguy615 on June 30, 2010 at 8:04 PM
I think the most ridiculous ads on TV are the home security system ads. In those commercials, when someone attempts a break-in, the response is to scream and run away to a different room, whereupon the phone rings and a phone operator asks if something is wrong and calls police. Meantime, the bad guy flees, scared off by the alarm.
Right.
novaculus on June 30, 2010 at 8:08 PM
In the inner city? My comments were extremely serious. Yes, I think the government, that thing that involves itself in every aspect of our life, would actually have some purpose to sponsor training on how to handle firearms more than 99% of everything else they do.
Buddahpundit on June 30, 2010 at 8:10 PM
I am just waiting for Sig or Glock or Kimber to do a parody of those commercials.
Holger on June 30, 2010 at 8:13 PM
How about this one?
MadisonConservative on June 30, 2010 at 8:17 PM
It used to. My father used to take his rifle to school (public school) for safety and marksmanship classes. In California.
http://www.odcmp.com/
I think you’re fighting an uphill battle on this today, even if the Democrats seem to have momentarily remembered the contents of the US Constitution.
Merovign on June 30, 2010 at 8:19 PM
There are .22 cal pellet guns that exceed the muzzle energy of a .22LR.
But the “plastic pellet” gun is almost certainly an airsoft and those can almost never cause a serious injury. I suppose a modified “sniper” airsoft gun with that very light plastic pellet at 500+ fps could hit something soft. Most of them are under 300fps and can’t do much but sting.
Merovign on June 30, 2010 at 8:22 PM
Heh. Good one. Thanks for the link.
novaculus on June 30, 2010 at 8:23 PM
Wait…you mean, get the populace standardized in knowing how to handle firearms?
That almost sounds like…a…a…militia.
AHHHHH IT’S THE CRAZY RIGHT WINGERS CHRIS MATTHEWS WARNED US ABOUT!!!!!
MadisonConservative on June 30, 2010 at 8:23 PM
I know a couple of ultra libs. They’re Obama kool aid drinkers through and through and believe in all things liberal. Except on 1 issue. Guns. Both own guns and are fierce 2nd Amendment types. Their reasoning is you can’t have the 1st without the 2nd.
So despite Al’s sudden awakening, a liberal who believes in owning a gun is not that unheard of.
angryed on June 30, 2010 at 8:26 PM
And Leftists do not know that under Federal Law, all men 17-45 years of age are categorized as militia.
Holger on June 30, 2010 at 8:28 PM
Submarines and targets baby.
BigWyo on June 30, 2010 at 8:36 PM
What is mind numbing is that if left to Democrats, this ruling would not have happened. It was a 5-4 vote with all Democrats opposing.
I don’t know if our liberals will ever put 2+2 together and stop electing people who hate them.
It’s like the Jews in Israel, we have to save them despite their suicidal tendencies.
scotash on June 30, 2010 at 8:59 PM
For a long time, Captain Kangaroo was the idol of certain demographics.
Not relevant, but had a huge and loyal base.
BobMbx on June 30, 2010 at 8:59 PM
We have ADT. Whenever the smoke detector sounds due to toast or other cooking mistake, it takes about 10 minutes for ADT to call. We already have the windows closed after airing out the house.
10 minutes. Boy, if I could get response time like those chicks on TV I’d consider buying more alarm sensors.
10 minutes.
BobMbx on June 30, 2010 at 9:03 PM
Must be the 90% who still support Obama. Oh, wait!!!!
SouthernGent on June 30, 2010 at 9:06 PM
The other sad thing is that anyone who REALLY wants to stalk and rape/kill you will have taken the time to slice the phone/internet/cable lines at the external junction boxes.
Hell I know how to do that and I’ve explained it MANY MANY times to people with security systems. The system WILL NOT work if the way it dials out (phone lines or Cable/Fiber for Voice Over IP phone systems) is sliced.
Fortunately most of the folks who I explain this to (liberal or not) have the common sense to then buy a backup security device (or have their significant others buy one for them)
or as most people call them pistols and shotguns.
SgtSVJones on June 30, 2010 at 9:14 PM
This is odd – In those places where I would have been allowed to have a firearm, I never felt that I needed one. But in those places where I wished I had a gun I was not allowed to have one. (I took a wrong turn once and got lost in East St. Louis, Illinois in the wee hours of the morning and wished I had an M-16).
Pelayo on June 30, 2010 at 9:22 PM
6″ Python loaded with HP, with Mossberg 12g w/00 Buckshot as a backup.
Warning: Do not enter my bedroom at night. I might get scared…for my life….and have to defend myself.
BobMbx on June 30, 2010 at 9:23 PM
Heh
Oldnuke on June 30, 2010 at 9:54 PM
A. Liberals refuse to use FACTS as they cloud the evidence so the whole CCW reduces crime HAS to be omitted
B. Hand guns are RACIST as where I live ( Alabama) only blacks shoot blacks ,No one can remember a white person shooting a black , and maybe once a decade a white person shoots another white .
So there you have if nothing else its all lies and racism …………………….
ELMO Q on June 30, 2010 at 10:24 PM
I know a couple of ultra libs. They’re Obama kool aid drinkers through and through and believe in all things liberal. Except on 1 issue. Guns. Both own guns and are fierce 2nd Amendment types. Their reasoning is you can’t have the 1st without the 2nd.
So despite Al’s sudden awakening, a liberal who believes in owning a gun is not that unheard of.
angryed on June 30, 2010 at 8:26 PM
My brother is a pro-gun Naderite.
annoyinglittletwerp on June 30, 2010 at 10:24 PM
Why does this hustler get any attention?
Inanemergencydial on June 30, 2010 at 10:50 PM
[Why is this man given any type of national forum?
the Coondawg on June 30, 2010 at 7:14 PM
For a long time, Captain Kangaroo was the idol of certain demographics.
Not relevant, but had a huge and loyal base.
BobMbx on June 30, 2010 at 8:59 PM]
I don’t remember Captain Kangaroo helping to stir racial tensions…
the Coondawg on June 30, 2010 at 11:46 PM
Now if these callers can only convince the good reverend that they’re being victimized by people of their own race and that just because a black guy is sent to prison it doesn’t mean he’s there just because of his race…
Also, if black folk had been better armed (and organized) back in the day I’m sure the Klan would have stayed home more often and drunk their whiskey and been content with idle grumbling. That’s not the same as going out and killing every white person in sight, either. I’m simply talking about Americans being able to defend themselves and their families from anyone seeking to do them harm.
Dr. ZhivBlago on June 30, 2010 at 11:56 PM
that’s a great column—thanks for linking AP. I look forward to reading Thomas’ concurrence with the decision.
ted c on July 1, 2010 at 12:04 AM
AP–please keep your ear to the ground for further analysis in the wake of Thomas’ concurrence. This is really big stuff and I think that Thomas may have really shaken the walls of the SCOTUS with this concurrence.
ted c on July 1, 2010 at 12:07 AM
I can guarantee you Mr. Sharpton carrys a weapon daily. He’d be an idiot if he didn’t.
docjohn52 on July 1, 2010 at 12:13 AM
How long can it be before he figures out who’s responsible for the high level of unemployment in the black community?
John Deaux on July 1, 2010 at 8:13 AM
…Why is this man given any type of national forum?
the Coondawg on June 30, 2010 at 7:14 PM…
Because, as with Obama, he is another fine shining example of a “colorblind” society. Not the MLK vision, but the sad-sack race-hustler/exploiter/”leader” of the poor black downtrodden that the Democrats (e.g. Party of Low Expectations) want him to be.
trl on July 1, 2010 at 8:42 AM
This is because 90% of your callers are criminals you moron.
wytammic on July 1, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Oh — I misread the headline. I thought 90% of his callers were for banning guns. Either way. ;)
wytammic on July 1, 2010 at 11:08 AM
When I was collecting signatures for a run for sheriff 10 years ago, I told each person that I was running on a “shall issue” platform: “I’ll issue a gun permit to every person who wants one who is not disqualified by criminal record or history of mental illness.” EVERY black man I asked (mostly outside of local building supply stores) snapped the pen from me and signed. The number of blacks with gun permits in CA must be near zero. Somebody offering to change that is very welcome amongst law abiding blacks, in my experience.
Alec on July 1, 2010 at 2:04 PM