Gun Control: How Reagan’s Racism Once Saved Lives and is Today Killing America’s Children

On May 2, 1967, the destinies of Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, and Ronald Reagan collided. The day saved untold thousands of lives.

At the time, California was an open-carry state with few gun restrictions. Governor Reagan was on the steps of the State Capitol to meet and share lunch with a group of visiting 8th graders when Newton, Seale, and nearly 30 other Black Panthers pulled up out front in a small caravan of cars.

Armed with everything from pistols to 12-gauge shotguns, they climbed the half-dozen steps to the area around the front doors of the building. Bobby pulled out a prepared statement, and read to the students and people in front of the capitol:

“Black people have begged, prayed, petitioned, demonstrated, and everything else to get the racist power structure of America to right the wrongs which have historically been perpetuated against black people. The time has come for black people to arm themselves against this terror before it is too late.”

They then walked into the building to confront the state’s police and legislators, fully loaded guns and rifles in their hands.

Reagan was aghast, and the nearly-all-white California legislature panicked.

“There’s no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons,” Reagan said later that afternoon.