In light of the fact that today is the day we celebrate and honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and also the day that the first African American president is sworn into office for his second term, I would like to take some time to discuss that president's call for gun control. I know that some people may be quite offended by my tying gun control in with racism. However, I feel that gun control may not even exist as an issue if it weren't for slavery and racism.
Slavery will forever remain a deep scar for this country. It was an abomination. It went against every ideal upon which this country was founded. The founders had made the dreadful mistake of allowing to continue what never should have begun. It wasn't until the mid-1860's that an attempt was made to remedy this. The attempt brought on a bloody war that tore the country apart. Although the Civil War did result in the abolition of slavery with the 13th and 14th amendments, it was only an attempt to right this wrong. The average freedmen in the south were still forced to live and work under much of the same conditions that they had to endure as slaves. They were thrust into a bitter world with nothing, and had to do what was necessary to survive.
One of the fears in the south at this time was that these newly "freed" slaves would attempt to rise up from these conditions. After all, the 14th amendment had declared them citizens with all of the rights of any other citizens. This list of rights included the 2nd amendment right to bear arms. What would be a more frightening idea to a former slave owner who was still treating these men as slaves than for these men to arm themselves and revolt? These former slave owners, many of them wealthy politicians, had to find a way to make sure that this did not happen.
The initial attempt to stave this situation off was to raise the price of firearms and to tax ammunition. As many of these former slave owners were politicians, this was not too difficult a thing to accomplish. Seeing as these newly freed slaves had no money and little way to earn money, that solved the plantation owners' dilemma for the time being. However, there were occasionally some men that were able to scrape and save a little bit and may someday be able to afford firearms. As a result of this thinking, these politicians began to draft new laws to dictate who may and may not own firearms. At the time, there was little ambiguity as to why these laws were being passed. However, over time they had to disguise them better.
Gun control was born of slavery and racism. To many, gun control still means slavery. Our second amendment is not in place so that we can hunt. It was put in place so that we might remain free from tyranny, in whatever form it comes. I realize that the many tragedies involving lunatics with guns and the deaths of innocent people weigh heavily on the hearts and minds of all of us, as well they should. I wish that there was an easy solution, but there is not. If I truly thought that giving up our second amendment rights would save the lives of innocent people and still keep our country as it should be, I would consider giving them up. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
The media has so demonized gun-ownership that law-abiding citizens are afraid to stand up for themselves. That is the beginning of tyranny. That is the beginning of a new slavery. When a president, one man, can sign twenty-three executive orders violating the second amendment to our constitution and not be questioned about it, it is clear that there is no longer power in the people. We have given up our rights for a false sense of security. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
