Black boys and gun culture?

Question

I hope i don't appear to be stereotyping and i know that some black boys do not get involved in guns, but the majority of them do. I want to know why this is and what could be done about it. Boys from other ethnic groups get involved sometimes, but it appears a predominantly afro-caribbean problem

Answer 1

i'm really glad i don't know you in real life.

Answer 2

There is no way to answer your question directly without addressing the stereotype. It's not untrue that a lot of kids are too involved with guns, but race isn't the important issue -- In reality, our society has a general obsession with violence -- guns in particular -- from the old frontier and the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution all the way up to the modern era where plastic guns are children's toys on shelves in nearly every grocery store in America, and the constant barrage of talk of violence and guns in the media -- including the news, movies, TV, and popular music. Whether it's positive publicity or negative publicity, it doesn't matter -- hearing about it constantly keeps people thinking & talking about it. On the subject of the obsession with violence, (not that I always agree with his radical opinions, but...) see Michael Moore's film "Bowling for Columbine".

Contemplating the general obsession with guns: The value of a gun is in it's power, what having a gun allows the holder to do -- in theory, that could be to feel powerful, exert control over others, cause fear in others, protect oneself from attack...any of these reasons explains, at least partially, why people would have an interest in guns. However, race is not as relevant as some might think; statistically speaking, some curiosity & carelessness with guns is prevalent in all races & at all levels of society -- and not everyone obsessed with weapons learned it from a "black boy." Anyone with an interest in power & control, or feeling like they don't have enough of it, could fall prey to involvement with guns, especially if they're dealing with a lot of anger or other struggles.

The thing about a stereotype is that it's sometimes true in some situations some of the time, but talking about a stereotype and saying it's mostly true most of the time -- I hope you're not surprised at the angry, offended responses to your question. It's a very uncomfortable topic to bring up, the idea that "the majority of black boys" are "involved in guns" and that other boys only sometimes get involved...you may not have meant to stereotype, but you did. Saying you don't mean to stereotype and then stating a stereotype is like telling your best friend "I don't mean this in a bad way, but I just wondered why you wore those pants when they make you look so fat." Saying you don't mean it in a bad way doesn't change the fact that it's insulting.

Answer 3

Yes you are stereotyping....and no gun crime is not an Afro-Caribbean problem, and the ones who do carry guns are usually part of a gang, but it's not just black people who are part of gangs you have other races who also carry guns, some say that this is associated with rap music, but i think most of this behaviour is based on getting respect, i don't know if this is due to low self esteem or what, but your right about one thing it is a problem, this is just a reflection of the world we live in today.

Answer 4

It's not the majority of African American boys who get into guns. But, those that do are taught from an early age that crime, drugs, violence, murder, etc are just a part of normal every day life. They live in impoverished areas that are riddled with crime. Their brothers, fathers, uncles, cousins who live in those same neighborhoods are in prison, have been shot or murdered, are addicted to drugs, etc. Then, there are those that live in these types of neighborhoods who are trying to better themselves but need some type of protection from the criminals around them. The Ghetto's of America are just so sad no matter what color the people who live in them are. The authorities, their teachers, the schools, noone does anything to try to encourage these kids. The schools in inner city LA do not have extra curricular activities, no art classes, no music classes, nothing to give these kids hope. The few youth centers in the area have closed down due to lack of funds. It is criminal that in this country when so many people have so much that these poor children are left with nothing.
Check out:
The documentaries "Rize", it's about Tommy the Clown who teaches dancing to inner city kids. So sad to see what these kids live through day after day. "Girlhood" ""
Also, Boyz in tha Hood, Menace to Society, Fresh, South Central, Do the Right Thing, Killa Season, Doing Hard Time, the list goes on and on.
While these are dramas, they still give a pretty good depiction of what ghetto life is really like. I can't imagine growing up like these kids have to and not being the exact same way.

Answer 5

I am afro-carribean, and I'll tell you, most of us are too busy trying to make the best of this country after our parents busted their asses to get us here. As a whole, we (male or female) don't have time for that "gun culture" crap. If we wanted to shoot at people, we'd have stayed the hell home. It's called crime. They say one in four people in US jails are black...but then, doesn't that make the other three fourths NOT black? What about them? How much of those three fourths is white? Some black boys get into guns and gangs just like some white boys, asian boys, latino boys...whatever. It's just that black people, in the aftermath of slavery and the civil rights movement (less than 50 years ago) are still facing poverty and oppression in the fact that we're not being pushed down anymore--we're being locked out. This very question is a prime example of the results garnered from the bad publicity shown on our race, robbing, killing, stealing...so that when we DO try to better ourselves, we run into ignorants like you who decline our job applications because you don't want to get robbed, thus forcing us back into our ghettos to find an easier means of "success." And then in the same breath condemn us as lazy for recognizing racism as a confounding issue in our communities. We steer our kids away from guns and gangs the same way white people steer their kids away from heavy metal and devil worship. It's as simple as that.

Answer 6

Interesting question.

I don't think that involvement with "gun culture" is any higher among the groups you mention than it is among Caucasians. The difference is how it manifests itself.

Where I grew up (a small town in Texas), hunting and target shooting are very popular sports. A very high percentage of homes have more than one firearm, and your dad teaches you gun safety and how to shoot from the time you are old enough to hold one. In the true gun culture guns are a tool, nothing more. They are not the "mystical death machine" power symbol that urban culture has turned them into. It is unfortunate that the gang banger "fear me because I have a gun" mentality has given gun owners in general a bad name. Fortunately, they are a very small percentage of the real "gun culture", the vast majority of which are law abiding individuals who enjoy recreational shooting.

Answer 7

If you were not too dumb to know, the media have feed you this believe black boy and the gun culture. you would have known better than that. yes or no don't the media obsess with reporting crime committed by black ? crime in the black community is not much higher than average America. do you know that crime white on white is extremely under reported.

Ok 98% of child molesters are white men. Do they have an obsession letting the world know that 98% of child molester are white men? this is a piece of information maybe as a white person you don't care for!!!

Answer 8

You said BUT THE MAJORITY OF THEM DO. I kind of wonder if this is true.

Carrying a gun is a means of feeling more powerful. It shows that the carrier has a compels about himself. OR Wants to be one of the gang by showing he too carries a pistola!

I would think that the laws should be enforced that are on the books BUT the sentence be carried out in the most southerly Mexican Prisons with no hope of chance of parole. Second time - death sentence!

Problem solved.

Answer 9

They cant achieve success through normal merit and hard work so they resort to looking hard and carrying guns cos its kewl innit man, innit - disagree? i shove a cap u yo ***!
Hahahaha!

For those that say its rascist to suggest more black boys are into gun crime than any other ethnic race - look at the UK there is even a specific police agency to tackle gun crime in the black community because its so rife! - thats a fact. The rascism card is simply used to blind the truth sometimes!

Answer 10

I don't believe it's a racist problem just regarding afro-caribbeans. It's a society problem due to the music we listen to a.t.m. Rap culture!! It's all about shooting your mother, the policeman, rape this woman (except they are not referred to as women), etc.. Young people want to emulate that lifestyle and do not realise that they would not survive 10 minutes in the real "ghetto" like South Central in LA. So bring back ABBA and good useless pop music and films/media without role models in crime!!

Answer 11

watch the movie: Bowling for Columbine- its not really black people that has gun problems its white people from hick towns that grew up owning guyns are selling to gang members that are in major cities check your facts about blacks.