Dec 23, 2021

Instagram Censors & Suspends MAJor Black Influencer

In today's society, the 2nd Amendment is a hot topic, and over the last handful of years or so... it's been the foundation for many advocacies and activists to build upon.

Pro 2A this, Anti-2A that...

Our nation's founding fathers took great care in making sure that the inalienable rights of the people were a "matter of fact" when drafting the US Constitution. The whole purpose of it is to tell the government to back off those rights, but... unfortunately... over time, people went and people'd, by getting all emotional and reliant on others (like the government) to look after them. The Constitution became heavily politicized, and "This case vs. This case" after another, the main point of its existence became twisted, and people lost faith in it all together.

Welcome to 2021 (almost 2022)!

The news has been wild these days!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're quite aware of how the United States' construct from years prior, has shifted from being something seemingly "FREE," to now... where we're pretty much on the brink of __________________ (Communism, Marxism, Socialism, Fascism, Stupidism, etc... fill in the blank with whichever "ism" suits you best. There are no wrong answers.)

We've gone from "I can say what I want! 1A!!! Freedom of Speech," to "What you just said offends me! You must be cancelled!"

We've gone from "My body, My choice," to "Screw your choice! Here's a mandated needle! INJECT MY CHOICE WITHIN YOU!"

One that gets me bent out of shape the most, even as a white chick... we've also gone from Liberal White America screaming, "Black Lives Matter! Give Black People Voices!" to "If you're black, but don't agree with our progressive politics and views, you're nothing more than a White Conservative With Black Skin."

I mean... isn't that a form of whitewashing?

And it's not JUST left leaning individuals doing this, but actual institutions, organizations, and companies, like social media platforms backed by White Left Leaning funders. And granted, it's NOT just black people with right leaning views getting this type of scrutiny. There are white folks on the receiving end, just as well, but considering we here at Mom-At-Arms are a COUNTER-PROPAGANDA GROUP... you have to admit, the propaganda... ADVERTISING... over the last few years (or more) has been built to PORTRAY institutions, organizations, and companies, like social media platforms as "Lifting Black Voices,” when in fact, they’re just using them for personal & political gain.

Take Instagram (Owned by Facebook/ Meta) for example. For the social media surfers with small attention spans, Instagram (aka IG) is the place to be. They've recently advanced a bit, and allowed for things like LIVE streaming, which gives users more than the typical one minute of video time. It, along with their "Reels" option, has really helped many IG Influencers gain traction to expand their networks and clientele base. And what an awesome time to have those abilities where Black Voices are being promoted.

Firearms Influencers, from ALL backgrounds, have also taken advantage of these new options, and built respectable platforms for themselves.

Back in the Summer of 2020, when individuals, institutions, organizations, and companies jumped on the "Lifting Black Voices" bandwagon during the pandemic lockdowns, social media platforms, like Instagram, also took advantage of the opportunity. And let's be very clear... it is about time that we lift black voices. (Keep reading) Like mentioned before, as much as our government and media have USED people of color for their personal (financial) agendas, through propaganda tactics that either paint them as menaces or victims of society... a race centered game of tug-o-war... it is ABSOLUTELTY RIGHT to give black voices the stage in order for them to express their displeasure with how THEY ARE being misused for politics… just based off of the color of their skin. It is very right for them to have the opportunity to correct that for the sake of black history. As a white woman, who is very proud of her race and heritage, as well as the ability to appreciate other races for their uniqueness, whether I 100% agree with them or not… what pisses me off the most is the outright HYPOCRISY certain folks, companies, orgs, etc... express when it comes down to black voices that do not align with their standards... or politics.

Take, for instance, Black Gun Rights advocates who utilize social media platforms to promote their activism. Here we are, during a time when society is supposed to be “lifting black voices” for their individuality; and working to preserve black history... which absolutely includes firearms… and there's still an underlying stigma there (like mentioned above, regarding the propaganda). Like, "They're black! They should be praised, but we can't give them something like a firearm, because they'll be seen as equals by white people... and not how we used to paint black people with guns as criminals. But! Let's boost their victimhood instead! That way, we can promote blackness as a race, and at the same time, use it as a way to correct our past racist ways. Because they're definitely onto us! We rich white people behind the curtain of MSM & Big Gov can make a difference for… people of color. We can piggyback off them to get those votes!”

I know! I'm rambling! But y'all know what I'm talking about. PEOPLE OF COLOR KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!

The media & government leaders know what I'm talking about, but have found a way to capitalize off of it.

Over the course of the last few years, though, the MSM & Big Gov have gotten a bit of a reckoning. When it came down to Gun Rights issues in the US, during a politicized pandemic, MINORITIES (meaning black people/ people of color & women; which includes black women… God Bless Y’all, from this white woman!) have been the primary demographic(s) behind all of the gun sales throughout the nation. This was a MAJor kick in the gut for the media and government leaders. I mean... People of color are NOT the victims that the MSM & Government portrays them as. They are a strong people. Confident and proud of their cultures, and they have now found opportunity and some appreciation from others within a diverse society (especially the 2A community), to openly express themselves... not just as people of color... but also as GUN OWNERS. It's not the fact that they want a ton of praise for it, but more so acceptance, in order to combat the negative light that the government and media has instilled in society on black/ minority gun ownership.

Black Guns Matter

One BLACK GUN OWNER that saw this misrepresentation by the MSM & Big Gov early on, and decided to dedicate his LIFE to breaking that stigma, is Maj Touré, founder of the Gun Rights Group, Black Guns Matter.

Maj has mastered social media promotion, and has helped in creating a very diverse community of Gun Owners from all backgrounds, but also a home base for Gun Owners of Color. His organization, Black Guns Matter, is not only a resource, but a grassroots movement, educating people throughout the nation, especially in urban communities, on their Constitutional/ 2A Rights.

You’d think that social media platforms, like Instagram, would be all about hyping up a black, self made entrepreneur, especially since they’re all about “Ensuring Black Voices Are Heard.”

Instead, Maj Touré, like many “Gun Influencers” who’ve used Instagram to build their businesses, was suspended. Not just one account, either… but TWO.

If you’re an avid follower of Maj, you know he keeps things to the point. He likes to keep his content informative, educational, and even a little humor filled. He’s also not one to shy away from a good, respectable debate with opposing views… which he, like us here at Mom-At-Arms believe, leads to solutions. #Solutionaries

Instagram’s Community Guidelines FAQs gives a breakdown of what they expect from it’s users. After reading their rules, and as fans of Maj Touré, who uses his platforms to educate and engage for awareness, we’re concerned about just how “ensuring” IG is in regards to black voices. We can only conclude that they have actually ignored Maj’s skin color & entrepreneurial voice (that they claim to be ensuring), and instead targeted the fact that he is a gun owner & 2A promoter/ influencer. It’s MAJorly concerning, not just for Gun Owners as a whole, but for the progress we have had within the Gun Rights Community in building a diversified presence in society. Censoring 2A Influencers, like Maj, deafens that message of diversity, and as history has shown, it’s not been an easy task to get as far as we have.

It’s a shame that we are here… where we have to measure things like a person’s race, religion, gender, etc…, in order to find balance in society. It’s a bigger shame that we have a government & media institutions that force the issues.

When 2A Advocates like Maj Touré come along and use their voices to shine a massive light on the hypocrisy & lies behind Big Gov & MSM’s skewed tactics, that has blinded masses, it’s very disheartening to see them censored for truth.

Fortunately, there are other outlets that Maj & others utilize so we can all show our continued support.