In 2020, the NRA spent more money trying to get gun laws overturned than all pro-gun control groups combined. But at one time they were all for gun control.
So what happened to make them suddenly change their tune?
#1: White Immigrants
In the 1920s and 1930s, the NRA helped write the first gun control laws. They wanted to control who could carry guns to help protect white immigrants who were known to have guns themselves. At the top of their lists?
Black people competing with immigrants for jobs.
#2: Black Panther Party
Fed up with police brutality and white terrorism, the Black Panther Party protested against gun restrictions. In 1967, they openly brandished guns on the steps of California’s state capitol.
#3: Rural White Fear
The entire time gun rights were being limited for Black people seeking to defend their communities, rural, poor white people were watching. These groups, afraid their guns would be taken away next, started fighting AGAINST gun regulation through the Republican party.
Gun control debates are part of a cycle that happens when these controls benefit white interests. Regardless of your views on guns, it’s important to understand that gun control and anti-Blackness go hand in hand.