July 3rd, 2009
The Gun Control Act
There was a span of about 30 years between the second and third Federal gun laws were passed. The Gun Control Act of 1968 came about in the wakes of the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy in Los Angeles, California and Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. Because of these horrible acts of violence when combined with the increasing violence and unrest in the United States during that time, congress felt the need to expand on the previous 2 gun laws that were in existence. The new law required all guns to have serial numbers engraved, set minimum age requirements, banned mail order weapons sales, required dealers to begin keeping records of sales, and increased the scope of those prohibited from buying a gun to include not only convicts, but the mentally ill and anyone discharged dishonorably from the military. These were some of the more important provisions included in The Gun Control Act of 1968.
