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January 19, 2011, 10:12 AM | #1 |
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Martin Luther King Denied a CCW in Alabama
Adam Winkler, a UCLA Professor of Law and supporter of strict gun control has an interesting article on Martin Luther King.
He notes that in his research, he has discovered that Dr. King's home was "an arsenal" and that in 1956, after his house was bombed, Dr. King applied for a permit to carry a concealed handgun under Alabama law (then a "may issue" state at the time). Not surprisingly, local police declined to issue one to Dr. King. even though he was a clergyman and receiving death threats daily. Much like the current California laws on gun permits, if you weren't in with the right people, all the justification in the world couldn't get him a permit. Winkler takes a shot at the NRA noting that the Alabama law was supported by the NRA at the time. What he neglects to mention is that the NRA also supported the shall-issue law that means Dr. King would not have been subject to the whims of local police. However, I thought it was interesting for a number of reasons: 1. It shows that even a peaceful, non-violent man like Dr. King appreciated the need to protect himself and his family - using violence if necessary. 2. It shows how may-issue laws are often used unjustly to disarm targeted minorities. 3. It shows that CCW can play a positive role in our social structure and demonstrates the civil rights origins of the right to bear arms about as clearly as any story can. |
January 19, 2011, 10:38 AM | #2 | |||
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January 19, 2011, 11:28 AM | #3 | ||
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Sorry, but I don't follow how Dr. King being denied a carry permit ...
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As a single data point, it gives no indication of frequency or that a particular group is being biased against. It simply shows where one application was submitted by a single individual and was rejected by a single individual. Quote:
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January 19, 2011, 01:13 PM | #4 | ||||
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January 19, 2011, 01:19 PM | #5 | ||
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January 19, 2011, 02:41 PM | #6 |
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I think the more important aspect here is how governments, if left unchecked, decide who gets rights and who doesn't based on things such as race, political opinion, and status.
Dr. King very obviously - more than most people - would not have used the firearm in a use other than self-defense, which was the talking point behind "may issue".
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January 19, 2011, 03:17 PM | #7 |
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Isn't Alabama still a "May Issue" state? Says so on Handgunlaw.us anyway
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January 19, 2011, 03:30 PM | #8 |
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yeah, Alabama is still a may issue state
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January 19, 2011, 03:43 PM | #9 |
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Doh! That is correct. Alabama is a may-issue state still, although it recognizes permits from a number of shall-issue states. Guess Dr. King would still be at the mercy of local police.
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January 19, 2011, 05:52 PM | #10 |
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yep, I'm not sure, but I believe that we (Alabama) accept permits from any state that will accept ours.
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January 19, 2011, 10:59 PM | #11 |
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Today MLK would get his permit in AL because if not, the sheriff would be sued out of office, and he would be held personally liable for willfully violating someone's civil rights. (If you don't believe the personally liable part, take a look at one of the letters that the alabama open carry org sends to sheriffs - very interesting read).
The may issue laws were primarily enacted in the south to restrict minorities from protecting themselves - that's well known. Just like how may issue was enacted an used in cali to control latinos and asians, and how unloaded open carry came about to restrict the black panthers. |
January 20, 2011, 12:09 AM | #12 | |
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