“A gun is just a piece of metal unless somebody picks it up.”

– Anja Kirby (1980-1996)

October 7, 1996

Revised August 17, 2010

To:

President Barack Obama

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Reverend Al Sharpton

Reverend Jesse Jackson

Dr Boyce Watkins

Mr Benjamin Jealous

Mr. Charles Barron

Mr. Bob Slade

Mr. James Mtume

Mr. Bob Pickett

Mr. Jumaane Williams

Mr. Noel Leader

We, the undersigned, demand that the above mentioned men eradicate the scourge of guns and violence from the African-American community.

So many times, violence and death has visited our community through gunfire with the finger on the trigger being black, and when we look to our African-American leaders (?) for responsibility and solace in a time of grief, they are nowhere to be found. Or worse yet, they are looking only for "racist" attacks by Europeans.

For Every Danroy Henry, Sean Bell, or Trayvon Martin, there are 100 Anja Kirbys, Chanel Petre-Nixon’s, or Justin Cosby’s. These latter names are not as likely to make the black newspapers or have marches led in their honor as the former because our leaders do not recognize that these lives are just as important because a white person did not kill them.

True, we do not make the guns in our community, but a gun is just a piece of metal unless someone picks it up. Why do we allow them to destroy our young people?

You have led marches from Howard Beach through South Carolina; halted grand juries until they voted the way you wanted; boycotted a grocery store; even led a bus caravan to the 1988 Democratic Convention to draw attention to a liar. But when a black child kills another young black child, where are the marches, the sit-ins, and the boycotts?

We demand that our leaders start an Anti-Gun, Anti-Violence Campaign in our own community. It can be done by

1) Marching on known gunrunners regardless of race.

2) Protesting the use of jail, guns and gangs in rap music and videos

3) Finding and destroying every gun in the African-American community.

4) No longer concerning themselves with the Europeans until our community rids itself of violence.

5) Treating a Black on Black shooting as if it was a White on Black shooting.

If our demands are not met in full, we will expose you to the masses as the frauds and charlatans for which you are and will constantly pressure, protest, and boycott any marches, gatherings, sit-ins, or pickets you may lead.

Sincerely,

Ernest Brown

President,

BUTTERFINGERS, INC