RACIST SPEECH AGAINST FIRST AMENDMENT & 2nd AMENDMENT

By Stephen Largen
Spartanburg County Council's lone Democrat wants Sheriff Chuck Wright
to stop encouraging residents to obtain concealed weapons licenses.
Councilman Michael Brown says his constituents believe the statements
promote an environment of lawlessness in the community.

“I think it's irresponsible, irreprehensible and of course incendiary
if you keep on making these types of comments,” Brown said
during a portion of Monday evening's council meeting devoted to
honoring a local group's efforts to mentor at-risk youth.

Wright, who did not attend the council meeting, said Tuesday that
he's always insisted the use of weapons should be a last resort.
Brown, with about three dozen young members of the group Black Boys
of Distinction gathered at the front of council chambers on Monday,
said community leaders should be focused on spending time with
at-risk youth in the community rather than encouraging residents
to obtain weapons licenses.

“I would say to continue to advocate for the instrumentalities of
violence is contrary to a large group of people in this community,”
Brown said during Monday's meeting. “The fact that you see me
standing up here, I represent that segment of this community,
the community that often times you will find yourself dealing with
in a negative manner.”

In late October, in the wake of an attempted rape at a popular park
in Spartanburg County, Wright implored female residents to obtain
concealed weapons licenses, saying that residents need to fight back.
The comments made national news and precipitated a spike in interest
in concealed weapons classes.

Since Wright's statement on Halloween through Monday, 647 Spartanburg
County residents have applied for concealed weapons licenses, a dramatic increase
from the prior average of just 20 such applications per week.

Additionally, in the months since Wright's plea, several instances
of residents shooting or attempting to shoot aggressors have occurred,
including a homeowner who shot a man staying inside a vacant Converse
Heights home and a Waffle House customer who shot and killed
a 19-year-old armed robber on Saturday.

Wright described the restaurant shooting as “another example of how
a (concealed weapons license) may save your life.”
Brown said Tuesday that many of his constituents are “very, very angry”
with Wright's recent statements.

“They think it's a call to arms rather than letting cooler heads prevail,”
he said. “People feel that there really is a lack of concern by law
enforcement in terms of putting in crime prevention. It's just getting
to the very end of the problem as opposed to trying to catch it at
the beginning, or even in the middle.”

Brown said the sheriff's comments will lead people who shouldn't
have weapons to seek them out. “People say Spartanburg is coming
to a boiling point and this is just an opportunity for people who are
not trained law enforcement officials, people who do not have
extensive training and the experience, to handle weapons,” he said.
“I've heard the term ‘wild wild West' from so many lips.”

Councilman David Britt said Tuesday that Brown's comments
represent an attack on Wright and local law enforcement.

“I think Michael missed a great opportunity to challenge those young
men that were there last night to reach beyond certain boundaries
that we all face and to really embrace accountability,” Britt said.
“Instead he chose to attack the sheriff, and not only our sheriff,
but our law enforcement officers and law abiding citizens who have
chosen to protect themselves and their families ... by going out and
getting their concealed carry licenses.”

Britt said it seemed as though there was a racial element to Brown's
comments, which “can contribute to a racial divide in the county,”
he said.

“His comments do not build a Spartanburg that's positive. The sheriff
is colorblind on this stuff.”

Wright said Tuesday that he agrees with Brown that residents should
try to resolve matters peacefully, but said it's wrong to place blame
on a person carrying a concealed weapons license.

“I encourage people to not use any kind of weapon toward anybody
except as a last resort,” the sheriff said. “For anybody to say that
I'm irresponsible for telling people they can exercise their
constitutional right is ridiculous.”

Wright said he hasn't heard from any of Brown's constituents who
are upset over his comments, and says he has an “open door” policy.
The sheriff said he has a heavy heart for the family of the deceased
19-year-old teen, Dante Lamont Williams, and the community as a whole.

“That was his choice, and it was a bad choice,” Wright said of Williams'
attempt to rob the Waffle House Saturday. “I'm very sorry he had to
pay for that choice with his life.”

[All emfasis has been added by David.]