Gun Control Reform Activism

jon stewart: “This isn’t an argument about freedom at all, is it? This whole f*cking thing’s a business plan for arms dealers. Son of a b*tch.”

Haha! And it's not just today, but post revolutionary war too!

Gunnuts often cite Tench Coxe, often taken out of context as below (accd'g to gunguru kopel: No one in the early republic wrote more about the right to arms than did Coxe):

#1 The unlimited power of the sword {often substituting arms} is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments but where, I trust in God, it will always remain, in the hands of the people. Penns Gazette, Feb, 1788.

#2 The powers of the sword are in the hands of the yeomanry of America from sixteen to sixty. The militia of these free commonwealths, entitled and accustomed to their arms, when compared with any possible army, must be tremendous and irresistible. Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Congress has no power to disarm the militia. Their swords and every terrible implement of the soldier are the birthright of Americans

#3 Whereas civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by the article in their right to keep and bear their private arms. 1789 (early version of 2ndA)

When the Revolution ended {~1783}, Coxe formed the international merchant firm of Coxe & Frazier ... Firearms were among the many commodities dealt in for many years by the firm of Coxe & Frazier... Like most others in the arms business, Coxe made arms for private purchase (the firearms sold in Massachusetts), for state militias (Georgia), and for local militia groups (New York).

So, Tench Coxe might've also said: Buy a musket during our special sale & get a half pound of powder FREE!

.. early 1811, Coxe's former associate, Wm Duane, charged that Purveyor Coxe had accepted large quantities of inferior firearms. In his first article, Duane made the sweeping allegation "that arms we had seen, which had been manufactured for the MONEY (for we cannot say the use) of the United States, were better adapted to kill American soldiers into whose hands they should be put, than an enemy." Coxe rejoined in the same issue, flatly denying the charges and noting that all arms were inspected prior to payment.
.. Duane claimed that some rifle barrels lacked grooves (rifling), had grooves only 6 inches down the barrel, or had grooves that were too shallow. Some were made with unfit Dutch locks (firing systems), or had stocks filled with glue and sawdust. There were Hessian or Hanoverian arms (German imports) which needed inspecting. "There were nine hundred pairs of pistols, but not one pair fit for public service." http://www.madisonbrigade.com/t_coxe.htm

Note: when coxe in #2 mentions 'private arms' he is referring to using private arms in the militia, as apart from arms which were provided the militias by state or federal armories - govt armories provided well over half the militia firearms (to ~1800).
He's also referring to the militia in his quotes, but his wording opened the door to 2nd Amendment mythology 'reinterpretation'.