Showing posts with label National African american Gun Association. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National African american Gun Association. Show all posts

Sunday, February 13, 2022

Statement from National African American Gun Association president on the killing of Amir Locke

Philip Smith, the president and founder of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA) issued the following statement on the killing of legal gun owner, Amir Locke when Minneapolis Police carried out a no-knock warrant.

No Knock Equals No Justice

Amir Locke, a 22-year-old black man lay asleep just before 7am, when loud noises and unknown voices awoke him. Like many other law-abiding citizens, Amir had a legal firearm nearby when the Minneapolis Police Department entered his residence without warning. In just 9 seconds, police opened fire and Amir was shot and killed. There are no words to truly express the pain that I feel as I read about another black man recklessly killed by the laws and policies that are supposed to protect all of us.

As a husband and father, it is my job to protect my family. What would I do if someone were to kick in my door unannounced and uninvited? What would I say? I, like many of you, and like Amir Locke, would grab the closest firearm, trust my training, and do all I could to protect me and my family. We have a crisis unfolding before us and must do all we can to seek change and justice. The use of no-knock warrants has proven to be a deadly practice. This murder is another example of the unjust policies used to police our communities and justify the killing of black men. We must support the memory of Amir Locke and immediately end the use of no-knock warrants everywhere.

Yes, police have a job to do and it’s hard – I get it. It is a job that many of us couldn’t do on our best days. In the days since Amir’s story gained national attention, I took the time to speak with several officers that I consider good police. The conversations were tough but necessary. We don’t all have to agree on everything, but we do have to find common ground and a path forward. I believe no-knock warrants run over the rights of American citizens and they create an imbalanced application of justice. What you end up seeing is a "mob mentality " being played out behind the barrel of a gun, at the expense of our communities. Too many things can go wrong. It is my belief that ending no-knock warrants is a start. It is a conversation starter and the beginning of tough policy changes.

What do we do next? We use our voices and the power of voting to bring about real change. We contact our elected officials, both local and national, to express our opposition to no-knock warrants. We stand in unity against all unjust practices, then we ensure our votes are felt in the ballot boxes. Now is the time to come together and protect our communities. We must get rid of no-knock warrants as they have no place in our society.

Philip Smith

President & Founder

National African American Gun Association

About NAAGA:

The National African American Gun Association provides a network for all African American firearm owners, gun clubs and outdoor enthusiasts.

The goal of the National African American Gun Association is to have every African American introduced to firearm use for home protection, competitive shooting, and outdoor recreational activities. We are a pro 2nd amendment organization focused on the preservation of our community through armed protection and community building.

They welcome people of all religious, social, and racial perspectives.

They especially welcome active and retired African American members of law enforcement and the military.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Statement from the National African American Gun Association on Las Vegas shootings and gun laws





In light of the tragic shooting incident in Las Vegas in which 58 died, and over 500 were wounded I reached out to the National African American Gun Association for a statement. Phillip Smith,  president of the NAAGA, responded. While I don't agree with most of his response and much of it is what you would expect from a pro-gun organization, he did make some concessions as far as common sense gun laws that the NRA has not. Read his statement below. George L. Cook  III African American Reports.


To: George L. Cook III

Re: Las Vegas Shootings - Perspective

Hello George,

I want to say that first and foremost our Organization The National African American Gun Association would like to express our sorrow and deepest sympathy for the victims and families of the Las Vegas Shooting.
This is a tragic loss for everyone in the United States,  as Americans we all feel the pain from this......

When a Nation is hit with something like this it is easy and almost a natural reaction to point blame to a person, group, or Laws which might fill the void and provide some sort of rational answer...........we want to vent , scream, and talk about how this happened.........that is easy but it doesn't accomplish anything but becomes a divisive tool for certain organizations 

The first target of these conversations is almost always by default "Gun Laws" and how they need to be changed to take away people's rights to own Guns or severely limit them from the General public....typically the discussions range from taking Assault Rifles, enforcing background checks, improving Mental Health infrastructure, and changing the general public's taste for Guns

As in the case of the Las Vegas shooter he was a person who didn't have a previous record and was determined to
complete his mission.  Even the Las Vegas Police and Criminal Justice professionals have stated there was nothing Law Enforcement or the public could have done that would have prevented it.  He was an evil person acting as a "Lone Wolf" set out to do evil things to the public at a Concert.....


The Bigger question to me isn't what we should do next but what we shouldn't do as knee-jerk reaction

What we shouldn't do is start taking Gun Rights away from Law Abiding citizens like myself and millions of others in the United States.  You don't punish the good guys only to give Bad guys even more chances to kill folks because  Law Abiding Americans will now be totally defenseless.  Criminals and Mad Men are always going to find a way to have guns either Legally or Illegally that is a fact................ A good analogy is if you have a individual drunk driver kill several people on the highway and the  first reaction by the Government is to take everybody's car away in society because of the tragic event. That wouldn't seem logical or make sense,  nor does it seem rational to start taking guns away because of some evil person (s) action. 


You Can't legislate or force Morality upon the masses of the public......when you try do that you then become the next Dictator, Communist, or worse a Hypocrite. 
Do I believe in Practical and common sense laws when it comes to Gun Laws ........Yes I do...absolutely !

  • No I don't think a person should have a "Bump Stock" because you basically have "Machine Gun" and that is too much 
  • No  you can' have a gun if you are on the terror watch list
  • No you can't have a gun if you beat your wife and kids and are considered a  serial Domestic Abuser.
  • No if you have a violent Felony Record  you can't ever have a gun


We live in a Society where most of us are decent hard working Americans...but on occasion we will see someone lacking "Humanity for his fellow Man and wants to lash out and hurt as many individuals as they can....That is something that can't be corrected by any group of laws or local restrictions........unfortunately that is the nature of some people in society

Philip Smith
National President
National African American Gun Association