by Yusef Raahman Sudah

Created on: October 28, 2008   Last Updated: February 06, 2012

Laws are often passed to improve civility, safety and other citizen benefits. Yet they are equally passed to control and suppress citizens. The opinion of civility and safety, is a matter of perspective and definition. These opinion are subjectively promoted by those who offer up the laws in the courts for consideration. Dictatorial and democratic laws are no different if the intent is to suppress citizens freedom of choice. Defending against an enemy on the open plains made gun ownership a matter of safety and survival. But in "civil" towns like Dodge City limiting firearms usage could become a matter of assuring citizens safety from danger.

From 1492  until 1968 there was very little done by local, state or federal, legislators to restrict gun ownership. In the rural communities throughout America gun ownership was and remains of a little concern. Even with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and his brother Robert in 1968 there was a very little effort to control applications for possession of firearms and vitally no legislative thrust to restrict gun ownership.

Though the question of legal ownership of guns by United States citizens was assure by the Second Amendment of the Constitution local and state governments have skillfully found ways to control citizens access to various types of firearms as well as managed to find ways to control which segments of the population will have "legal" access.  Many politicians have been very careful to walk the thin line of "gun registration" and "gun ownership".

After the 1968 "civil disobedient" of black bodied citizens in the streets of urban America,  gun ownership has been skillfully disguised by higher prices and implementation of  gun registration fees that has made "legal" ownership is very expensive. For the poor citizen ownership of a firearm can be un-affordable. Yet the poor still have the "right" to own but cannot afford to own a needed tool of defense and home protection.  For example, if you purchase a car you are not restricted from owning it but you must have a license to drive, if not, driving without a license is illegal. Like automobile registration, gun registration is not only used to raise revenue but also to control a citizen's access to and ownership of firearms.

In 1968 many local and state governments passed restrictive firearms ownership laws over night. Washington DC with a population of 75% African American retained one of most

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