What’s the dirty little secret behind "gun control" in America? Here are some hints: Working forever without pay. Whipping and torture. Buying and selling of human beings. Hate. Fear. Suspicion. Terrorism.

These hints recall the evil days of slavery, and post-Civil War periods of rule by terror. Those who would own human beings as slaves created "gun control" laws to keep the power in their own hands. They could not keep African slaves and their American descendants under lifelong control without making sure the slaves remained unarmed.

Free black people had served honorably and with distinction in the Revolutionary War. Yet under a 1792 federal law, black men could not serve as part of the state militias. In Louisiana, slaves were forbidden to use a firearm even in self-defense. In South Carolina, slaves could not possess guns without a master’s permission. Black persons, whether slave or free, had to have a license or a judge’s permission before they could carry a firearm in Florida and Delaware. For black people, guns were banned entirely in several states. Florida laws empowered white "citizen patrols" to invade and search blacks’ homes for guns or other weapons. None of these policies applied, of course, to white people.

After the Civil War, "gun control" laws kept black people "in their place." Blacks had to obtain licenses to have guns in Mississippi and Louisiana. Alabama banned all guns in 1866 -- for blacks. Later, Alabama and Texas placed huge taxes on the sale of handguns, which effectively banned guns for the poor.

Tennessee and Arkansas banned the inexpensive handguns which were the only types that poor black people could afford. South Carolina banned all handguns, except those for police and deputies.

Those American "gun control" laws worked: they disarmed most black people. The Ku Klux Klan and others could freely terrorize black families without fear. Unarmed victims couldn’t shoot back. Lynch law ruled, and claimed at least 3,446 lives up through the end of the Civil Rights movement.

Gun registration. Licensing. Judicial permit. Police approval. High taxes on guns and ammunition. Selective gun bans. Total gun bans. Police "gun sweeps" of private homes. Sound familiar?

The "gun control" lobby advocates all of these policies today. These policies historically worked in the past to disarm a targeted people. These policies will have the same effect now.

Although the gun prohibitionists have dropped the race hate rhetoric, they use the tried-and-true methods of the slave owners and Klansmen. The same means must achieve the same end: control of the unarmed people.

The slave owners feared that armed slaves would not long tolerate their condition. Modern politicians act like they have the same fear. Are we peaceful American citizens the modern day slaves who must be kept in our place?

What do these politicians fear from an armed man who wants to defend his family from violence in a bad neighborhood? How does a woman who carries a concealed weapon while walking at night cause crime?

Race-based "gun control" is not ancient history. The federal Gun Control Act of 1968 was passed as a response to race riots in major cities. The GCA wasn’t passed to combat ordinary street crime or gang violence -- white "liberal" racism energized that law.

Makers, sellers and users of firearms can derail the recent law suits and destroy "gun control" by putting the gun prohibitionists on the defensive. Make them explain why they favor racism-based laws. To learn more about this strategy to destroy "gun control," order our booklet, "Gun Control" Is Racist! and ask for our action kit. Just $3.00 postpaid. Call (262) 673-9745 or 1-800-869-1884 (orders only!), or visit www.jpfo.org.