Gun Control: Political Fears Trump Crime Control

Abstract:     
As the debate over the 1976 District of Columbia gun ban demonstrates, "gun control" often covers for a hidden agenda. British Cabinet papers declassified in 1969-70 demonstrate that contrary to claims made in Parliamentary debates, the intent of the Firearms Act 1920 was not to reduce or prevent crime, but to prevent a feared Bolshevik revolution in Britain. Direct statements by members of the Cabinet demonstrate an intent to mislead the public about their objectives.

Keywords: firearms regulation, Britain

Working Paper Series