Good article.

[JStarX7]

http://www.gunnewsdaily.com/index.php/contributor's-commentaries/41-remembering-the-past-nazis-racism-and-modern-gun-control

Remembering the Past: Nazi's, Racism, and Modern Gun Control
Saturday, 01 August 2009 00:00 | Author: William M Lolli |
Tim O'Brien of the Detroit News reminds us of the story of Dr. Henry Sweet, a black man who was found not guilty of using a gun for self defense against an angry racist mob:


"Black history can provide timely lessons that put today's policy debates in a new light. Take, for instance, the African-American experience with the right to self-defense.

"The story starts in September 1925, when Dr. Ossian Sweet moved his family into a two-story home on the corner of Garland and Charlevoix on Detroit's east side. A prominent gynecologist and a graduate of Howard University medical school, Dr. Sweet had studied and worked in Europe - including a stint with Nobel Prize winner Madame Curie in Paris - before settling in Detroit."

The story continues describing how Dr. Sweet, in an attempt to defend his family from the racist mob that was screaming "Here's ******s. Get them Get them"-- used his weapon to defend his family. There were two trials. The first ended in mistrial.

Dr. Sweet - patriot and gun owner

O'Brien continues:
"At the second trial, [defense lawyer Clarence] Darrow never denied that his sole, remaining client may have fired the fatal shot, but argued that the defendant was justified and acting in self-defense. The second jury (also all-white) took barely three hours to return a "not guilty" verdict.

"As a consequence of this incident, the Ku Klux Klan - which operated much more openly in those days - lobbied for and obtained the first round of restrictive gun legislation in Michigan.

"The Public Acts of 1927 included the requirement that citizens obtain government-issued "purchase permits" following mandatory "safety inspections." Even then, the opportunity to legally carry the weapon would be granted only at the whim of (unaccountable) county "gun boards."

"Following racial unrest in major American cities across the country in the early to mid-'60s - culminating in "the long, hot summer" of 1967 - the next round of restrictions came from the federal government in the form of the Gun Control Act of 1968. This legislation was modeled on the German Weapons Law of 1938 enacted by the Nazi government.

"A revealing feature of the contemporary gun control movement has been the persistent drive to ban inexpensive handguns often disparagingly called "Saturday Night Specials" - an epithet based on an old racist line that any kind of riotous going-on was a "******town Saturday Night." And, indeed, it is pretty obvious that, at the least, a ban on inexpensive weapons targets poor people, if not strictly minorities.

"None of this has proved effective in stemming violent crime because criminals, by definition, do not respect the law. Nevertheless, those who want to fully disarm the law-abiding have discovered a new tactic.

Mr. O'Brien makes sound, valid historical points. Consider that we as law-abiding, gun owners need to be familiar with our American heritage and history. Consider also that we have a responsibility to understand the tactics of the enemies of that heritage.

In World War II our parents and grandparents risked their lives to save the world from a dominating force; a force that wanted to conquer the world and enslave it. We, today, call it enslavement, but back then the Nazi's were trying to "liberate" Europe, "liberate" Africa, and had designs to "liberate" America.

Liberate?

With the help of scholar Thomas Colton Ruthford, I present this list for you to add to your mental armament. Consider the claims of the Nazi's and the claims of some liberals today:

* First, the term "Nazi" was gutter slang for the verb "to nationalize".

* The Bider-Mienhoff gang gave themselves the moniker "Nazi" during their early struggles.

* The official title of the Nazi Party was "The National Socialist Workers Party of Germany".

* Hitler and the Brownshirts advocated the nationalization of education, health care, transportation, national resources, manufacturing, distribution, and law enforcement.

* Hitler came to power by turning the working class, unemployed, and academic elite against the conservative republic.

* After der fuhrer's election ceased being a political conspiracy and was transformed into a fashionable social phenomenon, party membership was especially popular with educators, bureaucrats, and the press.

* Being a Nazi was politically correct. They called themselves "The Children of the New Age of World Order" and looked down their noses at everyone else. As Hitler acquired more power, he referred to his critics as "The Dark Forces of Anarchy and Hatred".

* Anyone who questioned Nazi high-handedness in the German press was branded a "Conservative Reactionary".

* The Nazi reign of terror began with false news reports on the Jews, Bohemians, and Gypsies who were said to be arming themselves to overthrow the "New World Order". Hitler demanded that all good people register their guns so that they wouldn't fall into the hands of "terrorists and madmen".

* Right wing fanatics of the "Old Order" who protested firearms registration were arrested by the S.S. and put in jail for "fomenting hatred against the Government of the German people".

* Then the Reichstag (government building) was blown up and Hitler forced legislative passage of an "Emergency Anti-Terrorist Act" through Parliament that gave the Gestapo extraordinary powers and suspended personal liberties.

* The leader then declared that for the well-being of the German people, all private firearms were to be confiscated by the Gestapo and the Wermotten (federal law enforcement and military).

* German citizens who refused to surrender their guns when the "jack-boots" (Gestapo) came calling, were murdered in their homes. By the way, the Gestapo were the federal police service of the Third Reich.

* When the Policia Bewakken, or local police, refused to take away guns from townsfolk, they themselves were disarmed and dragged out into the street and shot to death by the S.A. and the S.S.

* When local ministers spoke out against these atrocities, they were imprisoned and never seen again.

* The Gestapo began to confiscate and seize the homes, businesses, bank accounts, and personal belongings of wealthy conservative citizens who had prospered in the old Republic.

* Pamphleteers who urged revolt against the Nazis were shot on site by national law enforcement and the military.

* Gypsies and Jews were detained and sent to labor camps. Mountain roads throughout central Europe were closed to prevent the escape of fugitives into the wilderness, and to prevent the movement and concealment of partisan resistance fighters.

* Public schools rewrote history and Hitler youth groups taught the children to report their parents to their teachers for anti-Nazi remarks. Such parents disappeared.

* Pagan animism became the state religion of the Third Reich and Christians were widely condemned as "right wing fanatics".

* Millions of books were burned first and then people. Millions of them burned in huge ovens after they were first gassed to death.

* Unmarried women were paid large sums of money to have babies out of wedlock and then given medals for it.

* Evil was declared as being good, and good was condemned as being evil. World Order was coming and the German people were going to be the "peacekeepers".

Our liberties are so precious and so fragile. We can learn a lesson or two from the Jews in how to preserve our American heritage of freedom for our children and our grandchildren.

We need to remind ourselves not only of the glory and blessings of America: the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and our continued Manifest Destiny. But we also must remind ourselves of the price it cost many: the blood shed during the many wars-- wars that were not in vain. Men and women who bore arms to defend their neighbors and friends.

Men like Dr. Sweet, who before their were Nazi's, were fighting the Nazi's.

Men like Charlton Heston, after we thought the Nazi's were gone, are still fighting the Nazi's.

Do you hear the rallying call to preserve your heritage and your liberties? Get involved. The next generation will remember you and thank you for their gift of freedom.

[waldershrek]

But that could never happen in the US

[Tim1]

It's already happened in the US. Take a look at the history of lynching and ask yourself if it would have occurred as often if the target community had been well armed.

Of course that brings up another point too.... many of the early gun control laws were passed to keep "undesirables" from possessing arms. We wouldn't want those uppity minority populations to have the means to defend themselves, now would we?

[waldershrek]

I was being sarcastic




Can't tell you the number of times people have read about the Nazi's and said "Oh that type of thing could never happen here" :

[Tim1]

I figured you were being sarcastic Just wanted to throw something out there for people to consider.

Yeah, I've heard that a lot too. "It'll never happen here" What people don't realize is just how close we've come to it happening here. I went to the FDR library down in Dutchess County last year. One of the many things I learned there was a little remembered line from FDR's first inaugural address. This line was the one that actually received the most applause from the crowd, not the "fear itself" line that most of us remember. That line was actually little noticed at the time.

It is to be hoped that the normal balance of executive and legislative authority may be wholly adequate to meet the unprecedented task before us. But it may be that an unprecedented demand and need for undelayed action may call for temporary departure from that normal balance of public procedure.

I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measures as the Congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, I shall seek, within my constitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption.

But in the event that the Congress shall fail to take one of these two courses, and in the event that the national emergency is still critical, I shall not evade the clear course of duty that will then confront me. I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis—broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.

When Eleanor saw the reaction of the crowd to that piece she was reportedly horrified that people would be willing to go along with such a scheme. The scary part is that most Americans probably would have gone along with it in those days. They were pretty desperate times and in such times the people will go along with almost anything if you promise them that things are going to improve.

Those who say "it can't happen here" are kidding themselves.