Reflections on Massachusetts' racist gun control laws

The nice folks at the Roswell Guns and Gear store pointed me to Georgia Carry, who have an outstanding FAQ about Georgia firearms laws. As a current inmate resident of the People's Republic of Massachusetts, this part hurt the most:

Q: What is required to purchase a firearm in the state of Georgia?
A: You will need a valid state-issued ID.

Show your (Georgia) driver's license, pass the background check, leave with your gun. Sigh.

But this one got me thinking:

Q: What is a public gathering?
A: The Public Gathering Law was repealed when SB308 was signed into law on June 4, 2010. The Public Gathering was law in Georgia for 140 years and was one of the last Jim Crow laws to be repealed in Georgia.

For 140 years, the "Public Gathering" law was used to disarm black Americans in Georgia. It was only repealed last month. Yowzer.

Note that I'm not hatin' on Georgia, here. Reading through Georgia Carry's outstanding history Disarm the Negros: The Racist Roots of Gun Control made me think that Jim Crow is alive and well, and firmly ensconced on Massachusetts' Beacon Hill. You see, the gun violence in Dorchester, Roxbury, and other poor neighborhoods (read: majority black neighborhoods) is used to justify restricting firearms ownership in Massachusetts. Just like events like the Camilla Massacre was used to justify restricting (black) firearms ownership in 1868 Georgia. Hysterical stories sensationalized by a biased press try to whip up support for disarming Massachusetts citizens, just like in the 1906 Atlanta Race Riots.

And the Massachusetts law is applied selectively. If you live in Lincoln (a very white suburb of Boston, one with very low crime rates - IOW, one where you have less need for a gun to protect yourself), you'll have little trouble getting a permit. If you live in Dorchester (a majority black suburb of Boston, one with a very high crime rate - IOW, one where you have a lot more need for a gun), forget about it. Just like in 1908 Georgia. The analogy is not general, it's precise.

I mean, can't have a bunch of guns available to dangerous, excitable black folks, can you? [/sarcasm]

Massachusetts lefties, j'accuse. You are objectively racist, in a way that would have made the 1880 Georgia KKK proud. You should think long and hard about updating your laws - just like Georgia has. It is firmly to be hoped for that some day Massachusetts will grapple with its racist philosophy, and follow in Georgia's footsteps.