Attribute to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

Originally you had to own or rent a certain amount of property to vote in America. During the Jacksonian Era this requirement all but died (Texas allowed property owners only to vote in elections to raise property taxes until the late 1960’s/early Seventies.). The finally Jacksonian blow to property qualification to vote was Dorr’s Rebellion in 1843.

Poll taxes were used to restrict voting in the South into the 1960’s. Though nominally aimed at African Americans it could be and was used against poor whites.

There has always been a prejudice that poor people can’t be trusted with the vote. Especially if they are immigrants and/or members of ethnic minorities.

In the late Sixties and Seventies advocates of gun control spread the term &dquo;Saturday Night Specials&dquo; to promote the ban of easily concealed inexpensive handguns. Earlier laws to restrict or ban such firearms were recognized as being somehow racist and/or xenophobic in origin (I guess if you can’t afford a top of the line Wilson Custom Shop product you are too irresponsible to go armed.). No one complained about the expensive Maadi AKS, it was when the cheap Norinco AKS’s started to appear that banning AR’s and AK’s became a priority, replacing the push to ban handguns.

There has always been a push to disarm the poor.

The Texas state legislature is dealing with two bills this year dealing with handguns. The first, which all readers of TLE need to be supporting, is House Bill 275, calling for Constitutional Carry. The other is Senate Bill 16, which calls for elimination of application and renewal fees to get a handgun carry license (HCL). As mentioned elsewhere, freedom lovers should support this bill also. in case HB 275 tanks, but also because holding a Texas HCL exempts you from NICS and in case you are traveling where they insist on a license.

Obviously, hoplophobes are going to oppose HB 275. Even some people that consider themselves pro gun get antsy about &dquo;any Tom, Dick, or Mary” walk around packing heat without restriction. What surprised me was the number of people that opposed &dquo;free” (You’d still have to pay for and pass the safety class, range time to pass the shooting test, and fingerprinting) HCL’s. They seem to feel that the fee for a license is necessary to keep people who have no business going heeled from doing so.

Apparently there are still many out there who believe freedom, whether to vote or carry weapons in self defense, is &dquo;much to good for them (the common people).”

Futate eos atque equis suis.