Firearms instructor Rick Ector has been a leader in Michigan’s 2A community for over a decade, encouraging responsible gun ownership and helping train thousands of residents on everything from the basics of gun handling to obtaining a concealed carry license. Rick received the “Defender of Freedom” award at the Gun Rights Policy Conference back in 2016, and he’s been a frequent guest on my shows for over a decade. He’s back on Bearing Arms’ Cam & Co today to talk about an event that’s not exclusively focused on the Second Amendment, but will still have a definite 2A flavor: the Blacks And Latinos Against Racist Empowerment rally that Rick has organized for Thursday, May 28, at the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan.

“A lot of our nation’s focus is being concentrated and focused on the coronavirus and its impact on the economy, but little time is being said about racial minorities being killed across the nation,” Ector said in a release. “The deaths are a sober reminder that the world is not a safe place.”

State Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit is scheduled to speak at the rally. Whitsett recently made national headlines after she thanked President Donald Trump for touting the drug hydroxychloroquine, which she said saved her life after she contracted the COVID-19 virus.

The comment by Whitsett, a first-term lawmaker, angered the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party organization, which voted 15-0 to kick her out of the group.

Also expected to appear: Marcus Weldon, a Southfield resident who was acquitted of attempted murder after he shot two men he says pulled a gun on him at a downtown Detroit gas station on Dec. 21, 2014.

Maj Toure, the founder of Black Guns Matter, will also be on hand, as will Mike Lynn, Jr., the Lansing activist who recently provided an armed escort to one Michigan lawmaker who said she felt fearful after armed protesters descended on the state capitol building as part of a reopen protest against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month.

Ector says the impetus for next week’s rally were the killings of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, which he calls two “very unfortunate incidents.”

“I always try to stay in tune with what is happening locally, across the state, and nationally, and it caused a lot of people in my network angst and concern. You know, when you dig into the specific  details of each story it’s a little troubling. As a black person, a person of color, I’m always conscious that given the right set of circumstances that could be me, and I just wanted to put together an event here in Michigan at the state capitol and highlight those concerns.”

Ector says that he wants the event to be a positive one, and yes, it is open to people of all races, colors, and creeds. Ector says that he specifically wanted to reach out to minority gun owners because he believes that there is an impression that Second Amendment activism is primarily reserved for, well, guys who look a lot like me: white dudes with beards and ballcaps. Ector wants black gun owners, Hispanic gun owners, Asian gun owners, and gun owners of every shade and shape to know that they have a place to use their voice to advocate for personal empowerment and self-defense.

As someone who passionately believes that self-defense is a human right and that the right to keep and bear arms is a right of all the People, I think this will be an amazing event, and if it wasn’t an 11-hour drive from Farmville, Virginia, I would be there in person to take part. We will have much more on the rally next week, but in the meantime be sure to check out the entire interview with Rick Ector in the video window above. If you’re interested in attending, you can also find out more information about the rally at Rick’s Facebook page.