Alright, I've done a little looking around about the erosion of the second amendment, and I've come to some interesting conclusions. So let's get started.
In 1791 the bill of rights was ratified. In case you've forgotten the second amendment reads, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
In 1837 Georgia passes a law banning handguns, but it was ruled unconstitutional and thrown out.
1850's several states pass laws to stop slaves from bearing arms.
1861-1865 The Civil War.
In 1865 several southern states adopt “black codes” that forbid blacks from possessing firearms, in response to emancipation.
The gun control movement started in 1837 as a way to keep slaves from bearing arms. When that law was ruled unconstitutional, the slaveholders changed tactics to ban blacks from having guns of any kind. Then when it looked like the “elite” could no longer prohibit blacks (slaves/former slaves) from gaining freedom, the south seceded from the union starting the civil war. Well, they lost the war, but after emancipation the south managed to continue to control their slaves with the black codes of 1865, which prohibited blacks from possessing firearms.
The person with common sense would have no problem figuring out that when one group wants to control another, they take away the guns. That's something to think about. Let's continue.
The NRA was organized in 1871 with the primary goal of improving American civilians' marksmanship in preparation for war.
1920 Prohibition
1927 Congress passes a law banning the mailing on concealable weapons.
1929 the great depression starts and hits bottom in 1933.
1933 Prohibition repealed.
1934 The National Firearms Act of 1934 regulating only fully automatic firearms is approved by Congress.
The Federal Firearms act of 1938 places the first limits on the selling of firearms, requiring a Federal Firearms license to maintain records of the names and addresses of the people who bought guns. Gun sales to people with violent felonies, are prohibited.
The early 1900's brought on a second front in the war on our freedoms with prohibition. Ironically this is also the beginning of blaming objects for the things people do with them. Instead of blaming people for abusing alcohol, we banned alcohol in 1920. Instead of controlling alcohol abuse and drunkenness, we turned the average American into a criminal. In response to all the criminal activity the government did what they could to suppress the rebellion by banning the mailing of concealable weapons (which they could do, without bringing the second amendment into play).
Then came the Great Depression and the New Deal. The great depression put Americans on the ropes and allowed the New Deal to start us down the road to socialism. Once a portion of Americans started relying on the Government for food and their income, all that was needed to control the outlaws of America was to disarm them.
In a brilliant political move, one form of bondage was traded for another when in 1933 prohibition was repealed, and while everyone was celebrating, the National Firearms act of 1934 was passed banning fully automatic weapons. The first step to erode the second amendment was taken.
In 1938, the Federal Firearms act was put in place. This act required a Federal Firearms license to sell guns. Part of the requirements of keeping the license were that the seller had to keep the name and address of the buyer. Within just a few decades, the government not only had superior weapons to to the public, but new the names and addresses of almost every American that owned a gun.
The gun control movement rested for thirty years. In 1963 President John F Kennedy was assassinated and the gun control movement focused the population on the regulation of firearms. The bill championed by Democrat Senator Thomas J Dodd was supported by the NRA (ironically), and focused mostly on the mail order purchasing of handguns, even though JFK was killed by a mail order rifle. The bill was held up in the commerce committee and was not allowed out onto the senate floor. In 1964 urban riots in America started as a result of poverty and inequality.
1965 brought us President Johnson, who aggressively endorsed gun control as a way to control crime. His efforts were suffered three years of defeats through the lobbying efforts of the now opposed NRA, congressional leaders who supported them, the American Legion, and gun importers.
1968 President Johnson intensified the push for gun control once again, pushing the bill as an anti-crime bill called the Safe Streets and Crime Control Bill that required national registration of every gun in America, and licenses for all gun owners. The version that made it to the President's desk was watered down and excluded rifles and shotguns from any regulations.
Johnson signed this bill into law the day after the assassination of Robert F Kennedy in 1968. The American public had been led into the pen, and the gate closed. The second amendment had truly been breeched. The American public had been sold the lie that gun control leads to crime control.
Now if you're into conspiracy theories, you take the assassination of JFK and make it a government job to start the ball rolling on gun control. Then introduce a bunch of recreational drugs, and start some riots to soften up the public. Then with the assassination of MLK and Robert Kennedy, you have the public begging for their rights to be taken away. The watered down version of the gun control bill passed in the summer of 1968, and the supreme court gives it the nod while no one's looking. Once you have precedent in place, the stronger version, The Gun Control Act of 1968, was pushed through in October of 1968.
Not only is the government slowly disarming the American public, but they have citizen groups rushing to support the cause. Every time there is a national news worthy crime committed with a firearm the gun control nuts use the publicity to push another piece of legislation down the pipe.
Fast forward to 2007. The Virginia Tech massacre takes place in an environment where no guns are allowed. The anti-gun movement makes a push to try to further ban guns, but most in the general public can see that if some of the teachers or students were armed, they could have stopped the mentally ill man who shot up all their children. Not being able to admit that their movement is flawed, the conversation was turned toward more government regulation with the argument "mentally ill persons shouldn't have firearms". Most sane people if asked would agree that people who are mentally ill shouldn't have guns. There is public outcry to take away our rights further, but what the ignorant American public doesn't know is that the Gun Control act of 1968 already bans the sale of guns to mentally ill people.
Another nail in the coffin of a free America has been driven home. The second amendment is dead they just haven't buried the body yet.
"An armed man is a citizen, and unarmed man is a subject."
"Gun control is not about guns, it's about control."
I have no idea who said that, but I have to agree.
Torqued
No comments:
Post a Comment