In his remarks upon signing the act in October 1968, Johnson said: "The voices that blocked these safeguards were not the voices of an aroused nation. They were the voices of a powerful lobby, a gun lobby, that has prevailed for the moment in an election year."[8]Some things never change.
Since 1968, more Americans have died from gunshot injuries than Americans who have died in all wars combined. Also since 1968 the market for guns has changed. More private sellers are selling firearms at gun shows and flea markets and through Internet sites. That means that about 40% of gun sales go without the background checks that were required in the 1994 Brady Law.
There are many rumors and myths about King that are disputed in this Snopes.com article. Another such myth comes from the gun rights community who claim that MLK had a license to carry a gun and thus supported gun carrying and gun rights. It's another falsehood promoted by the gun rights community. The NRA's Colion Noir promoted this myth on last year's celebration of Martin Luther King day. From the article:
But Noir's history lesson on King only tells half of the story. In a compilation of King's writings gathered by King historian Clayborne Carson, King described how friends and family urged him to get a gun permit after his home was firebombed. King was denied the permit but later realized that owning a firearm was contrary to his nonviolent philosophy. King got rid of the gun he owned and would only allow his house to be protected by unarmed guards:As I wrote in my last post, the gun lobby is missing a lot of inconvenient truths. Their leaders may think that if they keep telling a lie over and over it will eventually become the truth. But too many people are watching. The truth matters. Every life matters. What we need is a national conversation about gun violence as it relates to justice and saving American lives no matter the color of their skin.
Thank you to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his common sense and perseverance in working towards dignity and justice for all. His calls for non-violence are still necessary today. From Dr. King- "Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals."
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