Some liberal commentators want us to believe that Second Amendment supporters are all racist white men. Reality belies this narrative.
In the lead-up to Monday’s pro-gun rally in Richmond against Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and his fellow Democrats’ gun restriction bills, commentators such as Al Sharpton and David Hogg were quick to portray the event as driven by white supremacists, following last week’s arrests of three neo-Nazis in Maryland suspected of planning to cause trouble at the rally.
Even after the rally ended without incident, critics have described an “atmosphere of fear,” with disparaging references to protesters openly carrying military-style rifles (an entirely legal act in Virginia). But when I attended yesterday, I saw that the pro-gun demonstration in Richmond was a peaceful protest that brought together thousands of people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.
While white men certainly seemed to be the majority of protesters, many other kinds of people turned up to voice their concerns about gun control as well, such as women, blacks, and members of the gay community who see their basic right to self-defense as at risk.
Just look at the photo below, which I took at the rally. It shows the hilarious nature of the liberal narrative of angry white men being the only ones protesting.
Sharpton was especially misguided in describing the rally as an affront to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because it took place on the national holiday dedicated to his legacy. In fact, rallying in defense of the Second Amendment is completely in line with what King stood for.
In 1956, King was denied a gun permit to defend himself and his family as the government saw his movement as a threat. Today, over 60 years later, Virginia Democrats have advanced “red flag” laws that will allow police to confiscate firearms from those deemed to carry a “substantial risk” to themselves or others — no criminal charge required.
Similar laws elsewhere have delivered mixed results and, in some instances, resulted in confiscation orders arising from frivolous allegations. Northam’s proposed “universal background check” is also a political move that ignores studies finding no association between such checks and declines in homicides or suicides.
Voters, especially those from minority communities, are right to be skeptical about legislation which requires them to sacrifice some liberties with questionable benefits.
And while seeing protesters proudly display their assault rifles in public was a new experience for a writer such as myself, who grew up in Australia where gun restrictions are some of the western world’s strictest, I honestly felt safer than I’ve felt at some other protests. That the affair went on without any violence sent a clear message that responsible gun owners can be trusted with their weapons and don’t pose a threat to the public.
While the debate over the Second Amendment is anything but clear-cut, this rally made one thing clear to me: Liberals demanding more gun control will need to do better than emotional arguments that whitewash the concerns of the same marginalized groups they claim to care about.
Satya Marar is a Washington DC-based Policy Analyst at Reason Foundation and a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog.
