Racism
Propaganda against racist gun control.
Racism-
The United Sates has always had some forms of racism, or at least oppression of the lower classes. In the late 1800's and early 1900's the United States found itself just getting out of the Reconstruction period after the end of the Civil War and abolishment of slavery. One of the methods of racism that was used was the act of disarming all black people after they became freedmen. Many southern states went as far as to alter the constitution from saying all citizens had the right to bear arms, to saying that all free white men had the right the right to bear arms. A statement was put out by a member of the Florida Supreme Court in 1941 stating,
"The original Act of 1893 was passed when there was a great influx of negro laborers in this State drawn here for the purpose of working in turpentine and lumber camps. The same condition existed when the Act was amended in 1901 and the Act was passed for the purpose of disarming the negro laborers and to thereby reduce the unlawful homicides that were prevalent in turpentine and saw-mill camps and to give the white citizens in sparsely settled areas a better feeling of security. The statute was never intended to be applied to the white population and in practice has never been so applied." -Justice Buford
Today much of the racism from that time has changed. Many of the interpretations and altercations of laws have been changed so that other races have equal rights involving firearms. However, it's not as if the issue has been completely revolved. One of the more controversial issues has been the issuing of weapon permits, or permits to carry concealed weapons. While the bias in who can acquire, and how easily they can acquire these permits is not obvious, white males typically have much easier access to these permits. California has stated that the majority of concealed weapon permits they issue are to white males.
The United Sates has always had some forms of racism, or at least oppression of the lower classes. In the late 1800's and early 1900's the United States found itself just getting out of the Reconstruction period after the end of the Civil War and abolishment of slavery. One of the methods of racism that was used was the act of disarming all black people after they became freedmen. Many southern states went as far as to alter the constitution from saying all citizens had the right to bear arms, to saying that all free white men had the right the right to bear arms. A statement was put out by a member of the Florida Supreme Court in 1941 stating,
"The original Act of 1893 was passed when there was a great influx of negro laborers in this State drawn here for the purpose of working in turpentine and lumber camps. The same condition existed when the Act was amended in 1901 and the Act was passed for the purpose of disarming the negro laborers and to thereby reduce the unlawful homicides that were prevalent in turpentine and saw-mill camps and to give the white citizens in sparsely settled areas a better feeling of security. The statute was never intended to be applied to the white population and in practice has never been so applied." -Justice Buford
Today much of the racism from that time has changed. Many of the interpretations and altercations of laws have been changed so that other races have equal rights involving firearms. However, it's not as if the issue has been completely revolved. One of the more controversial issues has been the issuing of weapon permits, or permits to carry concealed weapons. While the bias in who can acquire, and how easily they can acquire these permits is not obvious, white males typically have much easier access to these permits. California has stated that the majority of concealed weapon permits they issue are to white males.