Who is winning?
That fateful day in Dallas fifty years ago has been on everyone's mind lately.
In 1963, an adult could purchase a firearm almost anywhere in the United States—including mail order. Almost every hardware store sold guns and ammunition over the counter. No 'background check' was needed, or considered necessary, at that time. The only paperwork generated was a standard bill of sale. Even with the Chicago mob and their ilk, there was no nationwide worry about "gun violence."
Then along came Lee Harvey Oswald.
I was poking around in some old magazines and found an ad that appeared in the February 1963 Edition of one of the popular gun magazines that year. The ad had Mannlicher Carcano's, just like the one being held in the Dallas photo here, complete with 4x scope, listed for $19.95 and available for purchase through the mail. I miss the good old days.
Every time some nutcase or terrorist strikes, we loose a little more personal freedom. If it weren't for some cool heads, we would have lost all of our gun rights by now; as it stands, we're still in the heat of battle with those who want their Camelot sans personal responsibility.
-fl