Bringing more African Americans to the hobby?

[mushka]

I think that the county has become obsessed with race.

 

[Jay]

Hopefully one day We will describe people Just as people Everyone has special gifts from God

 

[52Bore]

People of color and different Nationalities are seen at Friendship, often.
Former NMLRA BOD Ted Blackwell was black.
No one even thinks about difference or handicap shooters, everyone enjoys everyone’s company as everyone is sharing the same ML passion.

 

[flashpoint]

Lots of really good, positive comments here and it's great to hear; especially in this day and age. I was on another ML forum and there was this one guy that was so full of vile hate and rage as he continuously spewed out his political views and everybody else be dammed. He totally contaminated the forum that was supposed to deal with shooting MLs, etc. Most of the guys on there were really generous with their advice and willingness to help a fellow BP guy. I could not even imagine if he was on here what would happen when Smokey fielded his question. Thank God he's not. I left that camp and am glad I am here. Plus it's great that if you want to get political or to determine what is politically or socially correct and argue through the night, then there is a forum specifically for that. As for me, I'm staying put. Flashpoint!

 

[flashpoint]

Hopefully one day We will describe people Just as people Everyone has special gifts from God

Amen Jay

 

[shorthair]

You might be surprised to learn there are more people of color at this very forum than you thought.

What has always bothered me is that there is always someone who has to count based on color instead of just saying that 200 people showed up they have to say that only 15 females were there.

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

Watch the movie, 'Glory', to see how our black brothers took to fighting. Or 'Redtails' to see how they comported themselves in a later war.

My father was a Captain in the US ARMY AIR CORP back in '41 and volunteered as primary command instructor, when no one else would, for the first all black pilots in Stearman biplanes, then to AT-6. No one thought they would advance further than transport pilots. When the demand for fighter pilots began in earnest, with Tusgeegee advanced command, dad recommended training in P40's, then sent to North Africa in which the black pilots excelled beyond belief...then they advanced to P51's and due to pilot shortages escorting bombers out of England...the black pilots as you now know them as Red Tails, became the best America had to off...ever!

What is really disheartening, I inherited from my dad when he passed away, all the flight records, medical records and incredible photos of the early primary training days of the black pilots, many who went on to advanced and European command... and several years ago, tried to offer them to museums, from Presidential to Smithsonian and all agreed to file them in historical records for posterity, but not one agreed to make a permanent exhibit ! As a result, I still have all those valuable records and soon I will try again!

 

[Kansas Jake]

1911tex, if the above named museums won't dispay your records offer them to a black museum where they will be preserved and displayed.

 

[ZUG]

This topic is getting too political for me ---- I'm gone.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

I think that the county has become obsessed with race.

Race is a proven source of power and income. It's not going anywhere any time soon.

1911tex,

You are holding onto something invaluable, you may have to "do it yourself." Set up your own "display" of sorts, use social media to gain attention, you might find more eager museums then.

 

[Zonie]

Let's stick to talking about minorities getting involved with muzzleloading and leave politics out of this discussion.

 

[RB POWELL]

This thread will touch off more brush fires that a hot wad in dry grass. Being"Offended" is already beginning to drip off the page of righteous indignation.

 

[RB POWELL]

I think that the county has become obsessed with race.

You have that right!

 

[appalichian hunter]

Really who gives a hoot about color, race, sex or what ever else the current situation has labeled. If the person is truly interested it is our responsibility to mentor, help and encourage. I agree with some other posts we are all American's and all played a role in this countries origins. There is too much political hype already in dealing with this. If you come across a person that asks for guidance on anything help them, they sought you out because they trust you and want your help.

 

[fireman1]

I think that we are all on the same page here and dont need to get hyper sensitive.

I think we can all agree that we should promote ML shooting to all people that are interested.

My son lives in IL and has brought 4 of this buddies with him this year to our farm (Iowa) on 4 or 5 different weekends this year. These young folks are new to fishing, cooking over a fire and yes shooting ML's. They love coming and learning new things. They love shooting my ML's.

The young lady of Chinese birth wants to do everything herself once I show her.

I love having them come. If these young folks are our future, we will be just fine. They are polite, hard working, smart and generous. They bring all the food and drink. They also do all the cooking and cleaning.

FleenerView attachment 47502View attachment 47503

your son picks good people to be friends with. Not all young people are so inclined to be generous and helpful.

 

[fireman1]

My shooting/gun interests span a great range. They go from my newly acquired Brown Bess to the modern tactical stuff. I do think that ALL shooters should try to reach out to the black/Hispanic/what ever community. The 2A and shooting is the birth right of every American....to paraphrase Tench Coxe. We absolutely need more shooters in every discipline.

 

[Bob McBride]

I’m Southern and pretty clannish. When I go more than 30 miles from my holler I feel like I’m in a foreign country and I can barely make out the language. That said, and similar to when I see a lady on the side of the road with a flat, I don’t care what race you are, the right to own, carry, and enjoy our firearms is ‘universal’.

(I almost said a ‘universal right’ but the only thing that I dispise more than the term ‘right’, which assumes there is another party involved, is so and so is ‘a privilege, not a right’ which assumes that other party has a say in the matter.) Live like you’re free, and you will be. That goes for all shades of folk.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I don’t care what race you are, the right to own, carry, and enjoy our firearms is ‘universal’.

Yeah and historically, if a group of "white folks" were under attack by marauders or bandits, even if the folks under attack were once part of the Confederacy, I doubt they gave any objections if these were the soldiers that came charging in for the rescue!

LD

 

[springfield art]

I think the core issue is how do you get anyone interested in getting into this hobby, or any other hobby you are interested in. It's not easy. You need to start by talking to people and see if you can spike their interest enough to at least try it one time with you.
You think its hard to get people into this hobby, try whitewater rafting. Pretty much everyone I ever asked either thought I was crazy or would go one time and be so scared they never went again.

Even the premier BPAss'n., the NMLRA, is acutely aware that numbers of people interested in BP shooting is dwindling. The baby-boom group is aging, and new kids aren't excited by TV shows about Davy, etc. The nat'l. distribution of the NMLRA magazine, Muzzle Blasts, is about 11,000. Just getting ANYBODY interested in the hobby is iffy nowadays!

 

[tenngun]

I think that’s true, but another part feeds in to it. Up till the seventies a kid could get a car and do much work on it, turn it in to a hot rod if he wanted.
Model building and train sets were popular.
Imagination was important. No movie special effects were as good as you can see in your minds eye when the book was read.
After that came the computers. Cars came more complex to work on each year video games came mor magical. Models and trains became an adult hobby. Special effects became better then real.
In camping micro fabrics and MRIs that taste good came in to use
We have little path for the young to follow to our sport.