An all-Black group is arming itself and demanding change. They are the NFAC

[ThatRobGuy]

What is the NFAC? An all-Black group arming itself and demanding change - CNN

Among the crowd was a group of armed Black men and women who call themselves the "Not Messing Around Coalition" or NFAC. The group did not run toward the gunshots or break formation. Instead, they kneeled on the ground amid the confusion, and then walked away after their leader shouted, "fall back! fall back!"
The all-Black, Atlanta-based group has grown in size out of frustration during a summer of protests against questionable policing and the deaths of countless Black people at the hands of police, said their founder John Fitzgerald Johnson.
Their presence has caused a stir in the cities they've visited and the group has drawn some criticism after people accidentally fired a weapon during two of their rallies, including the one in Lafayette.
Started in 2017, the group has marched in Stone Mountain, Georgia, calling for the removal of the nation's largest confederate monument; Brunswick, Georgia, for Ahmaud Arbery; Louisville, Kentucky, demanding more transparency in the Breonna Taylor case; and most recently Lafayette, Louisiana, in the name of Trayford Pellerin.

"In one sense it (NFAC) echoes the Black Panthers but they are more heavily armed and more disciplined... So far, they've coordinated with police and avoided engaging with violence," he said.
Johnson said the group is made up of "US citizens exercising our constitutional rights and the color of our skin shouldn't make any difference."

 

[Lord Give Me A Sign]

Sounds like they just want justice and equality, minus a few guns accidentally going off (according to the article)

Well i want the same thing for them and all people that are black and minorities. We need police reform but we also need a culture reform where i know it wont happen but i really wish they would put a ban on bad music and tv shows. I think thats alot of whats influencing bad behavior

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Sounds like they just want justice and equality, minus a few guns accidentally going off (according to the article)

I have no issues with them arming themselves in order to protect themselves from certain types of government overreach.

I actually think it's a good thing when a group or entity comes to the forefront that shatters certain narratives with regards to perceived conflictions of values, as it fosters an environment in which politicians and pundits are forced into an even-handedness that they otherwise would not be with regards to certain topics. (in this case, the topic of people arming themselves).

For instance, the narrative that "if you're affiliated with the social movement, you must also be in-line with the democratic position on a wide variety of other social issues like gun control"

Given that NFAC is now practicing being armed at demonstrations, are are affiliated with the "Justice For Breonna" movement, and had a demonstration (armed) after a Republican congressmen made veiled threats aimed at people who were protesting another shooting at the hands of police.

Certain media outlets now have to report on the topic of "being armed at protests" with at least a certain measure of objectivity, as it wouldn't be a good look for them to describe Breonna Taylor protestors using the same types of language they would use if they were describing "Three Percenters".

 

[Fantine]

Perhaps this display of armed but nonviolent demonstrations would show Americans that, as the FBI has said, white nationalists are the ones we should be worried about.
Perhaps their arms scare away infiltrators trying to make them look bad.

I think they should follow Trump's request and guard the polls in the city. Tell voters, "you're safe. No one will be able to intimidate you from voting on our watch."

 

[Pommer]

Sounds like they just want justice and equality, minus a few guns accidentally going off (according to the article)

Well i want the same thing for them and all people that are black and minorities. We need police reform but we also need a culture reform where i know it wont happen but i really wish they would put a ban on bad music and tv shows. I think thats alot of whats influencing bad behavior

Why do you (seemingly) characterize this as “bad behavior“?

 

[Kenny'sID]

I have no problem with it. Things do after all still need to be shaken up a bit in order to get the establishments attention and hold it. Such a presence lets the bosses know, they really do need to treat people fairly, or there may be a justified "or else".

At least they are disciplined.

Johnson said the group is made up of "US citizens exercising our constitutional rights and the color of our skin shouldn't make any difference."

Nope, it shouldn't make a difference, but you can bet it does to police. So its very good they are a group and not a single open carry black as in the following video

 

[Triumvirate]

Perhaps this display of armed but nonviolent demonstrations would show Americans that, as the FBI has said, white nationalists are the ones we should be worried about.
Perhaps their arms scare away infiltrators trying to make them look bad.

I think they should follow Trump's request and guard the polls in the city. Tell voters, "you're safe. No one will be able to intimidate you from voting on our watch."

They could do that, but that would also be breaking the law, in any state.

Frankly, we do not need armed mobs to monitor elections, irrespective of what colour those mobs are.

Edit: Also for clarity's sake - suspect when Trump suggested armed groups guard election stations, he wasn't thinking of black groups like NFAC.

 

[NerdGirl]

Among the crowd was a group of armed Black men and women who call themselves the "Not Messing Around Coalition" or NFAC.

Nothing promotes respect right off the bat like placing profanity right in your group name.

I hope each person carrying a weapon is legally permitted to do, and properly trained.

The all-Black, Atlanta-based group has grown in size out of frustration during a summer of protests against questionable policing and the deaths of countless Black people at the hands of police, said their founder John Fitzgerald Johnson.

"Countless"? Really?

Their presence has caused a stir in the cities they've visited and the group has drawn some criticism after people accidentally fired a weapon during two of their rallies, including the one in Lafayette.

Welp, so much for "properly trained" with their weapons. That, or they have a penchant for multiple "accidental" shots being fired.

"In one sense it (NFAC) echoes the Black Panthers but they are more heavily armed and more disciplined... So far, they've coordinated with police and avoided engaging with violence," he said.

Those two accidental shots don't count, I assume.

Johnson said the group is made up of "US citizens exercising our constitutional rights and the color of our skin shouldn't make any difference."

Then why is this an all-black group?

I suppose time will tell whether they will become an upstanding, respectable, law-abiding group or not. If their intentions are pure and they follow the law, I wish them the best.

 

[Tanj]

and properly trained.

Since when is that a prerequisite?

Also, what constitutes "properly trained"?

 

[Triumvirate]

Since when is that a prerequisite?

Also, what constitutes "properly trained"?

Yeah, it's not like the whiteboy meal team sixes that show up uninvited to events are properly trained that often either

 

[Pommer]

Since when is that a prerequisite?

Also, what constitutes "properly trained"?

Think: “the Bundys”

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Nothing promotes respect right off the bat like placing profanity right in your group name.

I hope each person carrying a weapon is legally permitted to do, and properly trained.

Profanity doesn't bother me, nor does it impact how I perceive a particular group.

Depending on the state they're in (and based on the states I saw listed in the article), most are legally allowed to carry a weapon simply by being over 18 (for long guns) and 21 (for handguns) provided they don't have a felony on their record.

If they're demonstrating in a state that allows for what's known as "constitutional carry", they're no more or less trained than most of the other people showing up with guns to demonstrations I would guess.

"Countless"? Really?

I would agree their leader using the word "countless" to describe it is hyperbole.

It's only "countless" if a person can't count to 19...

Welp, so much for "properly trained" with their weapons. That, or they have a penchant for multiple "accidental" shots being fired.

Given that our accidental gun deaths/injuries (overall) aren't that great, 2 non-lethal accidents is a drop in the bucket.

• From 2006-2016, almost 6,885 people in the U.S. died from unintentional shootings. In 2016 alone, there were 495 incidents of accidental firearm deaths.

While I am a gun owner concealed permit holder, I'm also in favor of much stricter training requirements than what we have. Even in many states, the concealed carry training requirement is largely a joke. (unless you consider watching a 2 hour video about gun safety, and being able to pass a common sense multiple choice test "training")

Then why is this an all-black group?

I suppose time will tell whether they will become an upstanding, respectable, law-abiding group or not. If their intentions are pure and they follow the law, I wish them the best.

It's not uncommon for demographic groups to have their own gun rights advocacy groups, aimed at exercising 2nd amendment rights specifically for the purposes of protection with regards to things they see as being disproportionately impacted by.

You have groups like Pink Pistols, which is a gay gun rights group.
There are several women's specific gun orgs. (like emPOWERed)

...and there are several non-gun related advocacy groups (that are exclusive to a demographic group) across a wide variety of topics/realms...so I don't see this one as anything particularly controversial.


So, if a person doesn't view emPOWERed or 'A girl and a gun' as controversial
...and they wouldn't see a local 'Black Business Owners' organization as controversial

I don't see why they would see a Black Gun Advocacy organization as controversial.

I'm assuming the people who do feel threatened by this are feeling that way because of a difference of political opinion with the group that happens to be doing it. If the armed demonstrations were being done by a conservative group like "The Right Brothers" (a Black conservative-centric group) or a demonstration organized by a libertarian influencer like Eric July in the name of a conservative/libertarian cause, I doubt they'd see it as controversial...in fact, they'd probably be touting it.

 

[Jimmy D]

What is it with you lot and your armed gangs legally roaming around all over the shop? Utter lunacy.

 

[98cwitr]

As is their right, which I will vocally defend. We should however be vocally opposed towards all forms of forced racial supremacy. If we cannot tolerate, as a society, violent white racists we shouldn't tolerate violent black racists either. This is a culture issue, not a racial one.

 

[FireDragon76]

What is it with you lot and your armed gangs legally roaming around all over the shop? Utter lunacy.

I don't think its a great thing, just a sign of the times in the US. Of course, we've had white militias for a long while.

 

[FireDragon76]

What is the NFAC? An all-Black group arming itself and demanding change - CNN

Among the crowd was a group of armed Black men and women who call themselves the "Not Messing Around Coalition" or NFAC. The group did not run toward the gunshots or break formation. Instead, they kneeled on the ground amid the confusion, and then walked away after their leader shouted, "fall back! fall back!"
The all-Black, Atlanta-based group has grown in size out of frustration during a summer of protests against questionable policing and the deaths of countless Black people at the hands of police, said their founder John Fitzgerald Johnson.
Their presence has caused a stir in the cities they've visited and the group has drawn some criticism after people accidentally fired a weapon during two of their rallies, including the one in Lafayette.
Started in 2017, the group has marched in Stone Mountain, Georgia, calling for the removal of the nation's largest confederate monument; Brunswick, Georgia, for Ahmaud Arbery; Louisville, Kentucky, demanding more transparency in the Breonna Taylor case; and most recently Lafayette, Louisiana, in the name of Trayford Pellerin.

"In one sense it (NFAC) echoes the Black Panthers but they are more heavily armed and more disciplined... So far, they've coordinated with police and avoided engaging with violence," he said.
Johnson said the group is made up of "US citizens exercising our constitutional rights and the color of our skin shouldn't make any difference."

"even-handeness"? Please. There's nothing good about another militia popping up.

 

[durangodawood]

I think many Americans fancy a country dominated by local or regional warlords.... because they imagine themselves as warlord, or at least privileged footsoldier.

They imagine more net freedom under that "system" than under the current one. I think they are wrong.

 

[Lord Give Me A Sign]

Why do you (seemingly) characterize this as “bad behavior“?

I wasnt referring to the armed group, i was referring to the moral decline of society and putting a portion of the blame for that on negative music, tv shows that glorify violence, anger and lust...as well as social media

 

[ThatRobGuy]

"even-handeness"? Please. There's nothing good about another militia popping up.

Untrained militias always present risks, what I was referring to was even-handedness in terms of how things get covered by the media.

If a group happens to be considered part of a demographic to be an "ally" of one wing or the other, media outlets that also associate with that particular wing are forced to "restrain" themselves a bit if said group is engaging in something they typically bash "the other side" for.

And it cuts both ways...

In this case, you can see how much more nuanced CNN had to be in discussing this armed group. We didn't see a lot of the usual rhetoric that we would if it were a right-wing armed militia. As they don't want to be seen as accusing a Black group of being "problematic"

Likewise on the other side, if a known fiscally conservative entity took part in a gay rights march, Fox wouldn't talk about them the same way as they would a left-leaning college organization.


It's a bit of "self-serving altruism" more than likely, but in any case, it makes them tone done certain types of rhetoric.

CNN writers/anchors don't want to be caught on tape saying the same things about NFAC that they would typically say about the Proud Boys or "Boog Bois"

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Hopefully President Trump can tackle this problem of armed gangs of minorities and different political leanings with his second term. As a freedom loving White Person, nothing makes me more nervous than seeing groups of Black people talking together or armed with guns. TRUMP 2020!