Federal restrictions on the sale and possession of some firearms
were introduced during Prohibition when illegal rumrunners battling
for territorial rights commonly used machine guns to destroy the
opposition. More sweeping legislation was not passed until 1968,
and from that time on the struggle has been between pro- and
anti-control forces, with more controls created at state and local
levels than at the federal level. However, the mood in Washington
has turned, and the question now is how the country can be weaned
away from the violence that pervades every aspect of living, from
lawlessness to literature, entertainment, and even children's toys.
This book traces the history of these gun control measures from the
early days to our own violent age.
This is a study of a part of American history that deals not
just with gun control as such, but with basic concepts of personal
liberty, government responsibility, and the fear of tyranny. All
three of these influenced the people who took up arms in the
American Revolution and who, for decades afterward, resisted every
effort of the central government to substitute a standing army for
the armed militia of the states. As the nation grew in size and
population, the need for a standing army became apparent, and the
nature of the militia changed from that of a purely state
organization to an adjunct of the regular army. Still, the view
that private individuals were entitled to purchase and keep
firearms for their personal use persisted. That this was not a
constitutional right was made clear by the Supreme Court in a
series of cases beginning as early as 1876.
Federal restrictions on the sale and possession of some firearms
were introduced during Prohibition when illegal rumrunners battling
for territorial rights commonly used machine guns to destroy the
opposition. More sweeping legislation was not passed until 1968,
and from that time on the struggle has been between pro- and
anti-control forces, with more controls created at state and local
levels than at the federal level. However, the mood in Washington
has turned, and the question now is how the country can be weaned
from the violence that pervades every aspect of living, from
lawlessness to literature, entertainment, and even children's
toys.
General
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