Well, if there is one thing that could cause the gun control movement to get a face full of buck shot, it’s identity politics. Yes, believe it or not, it could be rearing its head in this debate, as some are asking whether the anti-gun movement if it’s “too white.” The post, which was published on BBC, also wondered if March for Our Lives’ growth was so explosive because of the socioeconomic background of its leaders (via BBC):
Protesters are being accused of hypocrisy, as some ask why they didn't turn out for the Black Lives Matter movement, which was set up in 2013 to end police violence against black people and highlight the impact of gun violence in ethnic minority communities.
In 2016 more than 52% of murder victims (73% killed by guns) in America were black, even though black people make up 13% of the population.
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"Where were y'all when black people were getting shot though? If gun control don't include police and your protesting doesn't include innocent black people, I do not want it!" tweeted @frankpuddles.
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Some critics suggested that Never Again has attracted so much attention because of the race and economic background of its founders, who are students at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland.
"The Never Again movement has been spearheaded by white teens - that's why it's garnered so much attention," tweeted @gideonsvid.
BBC did add that David Hogg, one of the leaders of the new movement for gun laws after the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, said that students of color have not received the same platform as he in this discussion. Now, if I were a liberal, I would say that Black Lives Matter did get a lot of media attention. Now, March for Our Lives is, so instead of whining about where were these kids when BLM was riding high, why not unite. But that’s not the case with progressivism. It’s a victimhood mentality. They cannot move on until they spout some crazy pseudo-intellectual nonsense—and if you don’t agree—they destroy you. To be honest, there are areas where BLM is not radical. Bad cops need to be held to account, police brutality shouldn’t be treated with such a blasé attitude as sometimes seen on the Right, and yes—the cop who shot and killed Philando Castile in Minnesota probably should have been convicted of manslaughter. Yet, becoming emotionally triggered about racial composition instead of focusing on the issue that’s obviously uniting both camps is what you get with identity politics; rigid tribalism to the point where no unity can be found—ever. I doubt this will eat the movement from within. The same folks who wanted to shred the Bill of Rights have just hopped onto another train to voice their opposition to the Second Amendment. At the same time, it shows how American liberalism is easily fractured under the toxic cloud of identity politics. Is the gun control movement too white? I don’t know and I don’t care. I care about the issue these people have rallied around and what they want. Who cares about skin color if they all want to confiscate firearms and shred the Constitution? It’s about the issues and their narratives—and what’s coming from the mouths of progressives, who are white, black, Asian, Hispanic etc., is downright terrifying.
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