No, really, they did. But they’re big meanies now for not. Time Magazine says so!
When the NRA Supported Gun Control
….
The NRA’s opposition to gun control, however, is only a few decades , according to Adam Winkler author of the book Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America. “Historically,†writes Winkler, “the leadership of the NRA was more open-minded about gun control than someone familiar with the modern NRA might imagine.â€
Not only did the NRA support gun control for much of the 20th century, its leadership in fact lobbied for and co-authored gun control legislation. (snip)
In the 1920s, the National Revolver Association, the arm of the NRA responsible for handgun training, proposed regulations later adopted by nine states, requiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon, five years additional prison time if the gun was used in a crime, a ban on gun sales to non-citizens, a one day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun, and that records of gun sales be made available to police.
The NRA still backs concealed carry permits. They still approve of additional prison time. And bans on gun sales to non-citizens. They are fine with reasonable waiting periods. And they do not freak if the police have a record. So, nothing has changed.
Anyway, supposedly this all changed in the 70’s
For much of the 20th century, the NRA had lobbied and co-authored legislation that was similar to the modern legislative measures the association now characterizes as unconstitutional. But by the 1970s the NRA came to view attempts to enact gun-control laws as threats to the Second Amendment, a viewpoint strongly articulated at last week’s Republican National Convention by current NRA leader Chris Cox. Today’s NRA could be summed up with words uttered by the Black Panther Party 40 years earlier: “the gun is the only thing that will free us—gain us our liberation.â€
What’s missing from all of this is the Democrats view of gun control, which is to essentially ban the private ownership of guns. Not just automatic weapons, sawed off shotguns, and silencers, all three of which are mentioned in the article as bans the NRA approved of back in the 30’s. Most would agree they have no problem with this. Also, there really is no thing as a silencer, except in poorly written TV shows, books, and movies. They are suppressors. Regardless, the Democrats want more and more restrictions on private ownership of guns while at the same time they coddle actual criminals, creating a situation where law abiding citizens need weapons to protect themselves from criminality that Democrat policies have created.
A nationwide registry of owned guns? Dems can position it however they want, this is simply a way for them to know who has what as they implement confiscatory policies. It’s not paranoia when this is what they want to do. To Other People, of course. They don’t want to give up their own guns.
An assault weapons ban? The last one made no difference, and they are simply “scary” looking versions of other rifles.
Everything is aimed at the law abiding citizen, rather than criminals. If the left was serious, their “comprehensive” gun reform would go heavy on criminals. Instead, it attempts to turn law abiding citizens into criminals and/or someone with a mental issue that requires taking their guns away.
Finally, there was a point where we were not concerned with the growing power of the federal government. To quote V For Vendetta, a movie leftists love (also, a lot of the rest of us, good flick!) “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.†Or, better yet, Thomas Jefferson “When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.” The people who most want to disarm citizens are the same ones trying to monumentally increase the power of government. Go figure. I mean, really, we should not infer an agenda, right? Right?
