Guns and Tribal Warfare

The Gantt Report

By Lucius Gantt

   Years ago, when I was primarily doing business in the State of Florida,

There was a time when I was contacted by Leon County law enforcers.

The lawman told me that there was chatter on a white supremacy online group that discussed hurting or killing me because of my opinions expressed in The Gantt Report.

I was quick to tell the cops, “Tell them where I am, let’s see what happens!”

The local police knew I owned weapons, knew I was NRA Certified in handgun marksmanship, and they knew I had 200-pound guard dogs.

The group making the online threat, I believe, was “The Storm Troopers”, but as you can read, I’m like the Williams Brothers, I’m “Still Here”.

Most gun owners are like me, peaceful and law-abiding citizens that merely want to protect their families, themselves, and their communities.

I live in the ‘hood in Atlanta when I’m in my hometown because I grew up in Carver Homes and in Fourth Ward. In 2023, Vine City is one of Atlanta’s most violent neighborhoods, and shootings occur there on the regular.

When I have visitors, I show them bullet holes about seven or eight steps from my front door.

In the ‘hood, in every city, almost everybody has a gun. Men, women, and teen-aged children all have guns that they can carry around without needing a license to carry a concealed weapon.

I don’t have a problem with adults who want a pistol and a rifle, for protection and hunting, or whatever use is legal.

There are two kinds of people that should not have access to guns, kids and crazy people.

Some politicians wrongfully suggest that guns are needed because crimes occur on the streets, and the Black neighborhoods are permeated with thugs, hoodlums, and criminals.

Every country in the world has some Black residents and every country in the world has ghettos and barrios.

America has more mass shootings than other countries because of crazies!

The idea that it’s OK to shoot unarmed children that ring your doorbell or make a wrong turn in your driveway must be discredited!

I believe that anyone that shoots and kills an unarmed child should get the death penalty. I also believe that anyone that uses a weapon in the commission of a crime should get a minimum mandatory penitentiary sentence.

Anyway, what upsets me most about today’s gun violence are the punks that pretend to be gangsters that will kill children, and parents, at a birthday party, or at a church bible study.

Real gangsters don’t do drive-by killings. If a real gangster has a problem with you, he’ll walk right up to you and only blow your brains out! You know how Bumpy Johnson and Frank Lucas did it.

I asked one of my young friends where kids get guns from, and I was told the guns are from burglaries, home invasions, car thefts, and so on.

However, if you don’t know, gang members are allegedly recruiting kids at the parks and playgrounds.

I was also told that adult gang members will sponsor an activity at the park, give kids hot dogs and ice cream and then give them guns.

Parents cry when their child gets shot. I understand that, but parents should also be responsible parents and raise their children, a and explain unwarranted killing is wrong, especially, drive by shootings where untrained shooters never hit the person they had a beef with.

There are some Black organizations that talk about protecting Black community residents and defending our sisters and mothers.

Where are they when we need them to help stop this modern-day tribal warfare? Are they what we used to call “reactionaries”?

We all have a role in stopping gun violence in our communities, schools, and churches.

STOP the violence!