Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Licensing, in history

David Codrea at The War on Guns and Kurt Hofmann at Armed and Safe gave a few examples awhile back regarding the reconstruction period and licensing of blacks to possess firearms.
1865 Mississippi
Blacks require police approval to own guns, unless in military. Mississippi Statute of 1865 prohibited blacks, not in the military "and not licensed so to do by the board of police of his or her county" from keeping or carrying "fire-arms of any kind, or any ammunition, dirk or bowie knife." [reprinted in 1 Documentary History of Reconstruction: Political, Military, Social, Religious, Educational and Industrial, 1865 to the Present Time, p. 291, (Walter L. Fleming, ed., 1960.)] (GLJ, p. 344) [emphasis mine]
And another example:
1865 Louisiana
Blacks require police and employer approval to own guns, unless serving in military. Louisiana Statute of 1865 prohibited blacks, not in the military service, from "carrying fire-arms, or any kind of weapons...without the special permission of his employers, approved and indorsed by the nearest and most convenient chief of patrol." (Fleming, p. 280)(GLJ, p. 344)[emphasis mine]
Source: Racist Gun control You can find more examples there.

I reflect on the current bills that were before the state legislature this year where one bill would remove the whole permit process and another would still require a citizen to receive permission to carry from the state.

And I wonder: Where did the state get the whole permit idea from?

2 comments:

straightarrow said...

let's be blunt here. originally the gun control laws meant "no guns for niggers".

Now the gun control laws mean "everybody is a nigger and they still can't have guns".

There is no polite way to say the above. The more we try to couch it in polite language, the more the assholes who don't "niggers" to have guns gain ground.

The very first gun control laws in this country were aimed at keeping black people from being able to protect themselves from marauding racists, rapists, and murderers. The only difference between the "Black Codes" of that time and gun regulations today is that we are all now subject to the helplessness that was visited on our darker-skinned brothers and sisters in times past. How does it feel to know that you are rape, murder,and abuse material with no legal way to present a physical defense against same?

It is to America's shame that we did not understand this atrocity committed against a people until it was committed against us also, but what the fuck did we expect? When one remains silent when he should speak, who would be able to speak in his defense when the monster comes to eat him? No one! That's who!

But we know, and we know in time to stop the monster, and turn his appetite for more power to the worst case of indigestion he has ever had. Perhaps even a fatal case of indigestion, then we can truly be the "land of the free".

It can happen, if we have the guts and pay the price.

strandediniowa said...

Disclaimer - Language that is viewed as "racist" is not agreeable with the editorial board of BTR. We are keeping this up as-is, because blunt words can make a point.

I understand the point you're making SA, but if the complaint department gets wind...

Even JPFO isn't using these words.