Expert: Dan Haynes - 7/27/2010

Question
I recently watched a movie called Maafa 21 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B2YG7vtwXA). It is about the history of the eugenics movement and it says that white wealthy American elite used the eugenics movement as their response to the end of slavery out of their fear that the millions of slaves-turned-freemen would bankrupt the American economy and diminish their wealth. The movie details the political actions taken by this group of elite in order to preserve their wealth and the philosophical motivations behind their actions and it spans the period from the end of slavery through to present day.

I came home and told my husband about the movie because the direct connection between eugenics and the end of slavery was a real eye-opening piece of information I'd never learned before and my husband's response was that the end of slavery was also the beginning of gun control for the same exact reasons. Wow. I knew the history of the American eugenics movement from the 1920s forward, but it had never occurred to me that it started with emancipation and that realization made everything else in our political arena slide into place.

I also recently had a conversation with a guy who said, in my paraphrase, that he doesn't understand why so many political liberals are opposed to guns because he considers the right to keep and bear arms as a women's rights issue as guns really level the playing field between the sexes and empower women.

However, it would make perfect sense how come the same people are in favor of gun control as are in favor of other politically liberal ideas such as reproductive choice if they both have their foundation in the American eugenics movement led by the wealthy elite of both parties. Now I'm just fascinated with this topic and would like to read more.

Do you have any information on the origins of the gun control movement arising out of the end of slavery, having its foundations in the eugenics movement, or other information regarding a small group of wealthy elite using it as a means of controlling the populace, especially the poor and the minorities, in order to protect their wealth and status? Maybe that isn't the history at all and you can share with me what it was instead. Whatever would shed light on this topic would be of great interest to me!

The resources I currently know of are Justice Thomas' opinion in the recent McDonald case: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1521.pdf
and these two articles:
http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/cramer.racism.html
http://www.guncite.com/journals/cd-reg.html

Thanks in advance!

Answer
Hoi,

Thanks for inquiring about this matter. It appears that you have already done a lot of research. Slavery and gun control go hand in hand. Here are some articles on why that happens.

http://northernlibertyalliance.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/the-slavery-of-gun-contr...
http://americainchains2009.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/dictators-and-gun-control/
http://www.newswithviews.com/Vieira/edwin15.htm
http://hnn.us/articles/1796.html
http://saynsumthn.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/“maafa-21”-the-undeniable-truth-about...

The right to keep and bear arms is not just for women. On the contrary, there were no women in the well regulated militia the second amendment refers to. Until recently women  were not allowed in military combat situations. Today the second amendment applies to all lawful citizens in the United States    

Today, wealthy elite people like George Soros fund anti gun groups like IANSA

http://www.iansa.org/un/index.htm

Some wealthy members of Congress push anti gun legislation to become law. Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer, Hillary Clinton and many others try to ban our guns.

Anti gun laws do nothing to curb crime. Criminals do not obey the law and will get their guns by illegal means. The Second Amendment keeps us free from oppressive governments. It provides law abiding citizens with the means of self defense and can save lives. An excellent book on the Second Amendment is called the Second Amendment Primer. In it you will find the congressional writing at the time the amendment was being formed. I highly recommend reading this.

Best regards,

Dan