For their own good, you see. This was the 1927 law that banned mailing of handguns through US Post Offices. The more things change, the more they stay the same. I’m reminded of this C.S. Lewis quote:
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
I think that describes a lot of our opponents in this fight.
Black codes during Reconstruction for sure. In the north the first I know of is the Sullivan law in NY which was meant to disarm Italians.
Lewis’s formulation goes well with Heinlein’s division of politics into those who want to control other people, and those who don’t.
The ones who want to control others always have ironclad rationalizations for it. Everyone sees themselves as the good guys (of course, only some really are)
And, it worked. It worked so well many blacks, especially in the city, seem to believe that they are incapable of using guns responsibly for self defense. They have allowed the drug dealers and thugs to define their experience and rights.