Saturday's Show will address the Second Amendment and arguments for control or repeal of the Second Amendment. We stream "live" at 11 a.m.

   One common argument against any restrictions on gun ownership relies upon what is set forth as an historical "fact"---that one of Adolf Hitler's first actions as Chancellor of Germany was to require registration of ownership of guns by private citizens. To authenticate this claim, gun advocates even have a "quote" from Hitler:

       "This year will go down in history!  For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!"

   The quote usually is attributed to "Adolf Hitler, 'Farewell to Hessia!' Abschied vom Hessenland, Apr. 15, 1935, at 3.

   Unfortunately, historical records from that time do not support such a statement having been made by Hitler. Furthermore, as has been pointed out in various scholarly works, the statement makes no sense as to actions of the Nazis once in power.  (See Harcourt, "On Gun Registration, the NRA, Adolf Hitler, and Nazi Gun Laws: Exploding the Gun Culture Wars (A Call to Historians)," 73 Fordham L.Rev. 653 (2004). Strict gun control laws were placed in effect by the Weimar Republic after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Germany went further---in the 1920s and before Hitler's rise to power---in large part because of the Nazis and their street fights with Communists. In 1938 laws were passed that related to gun control. That was three years after Hitler's supposed claim.

   These facts would have little meaning were the NRA and its minions not so vocal in their reliance upon references to Hitler and other dictators as examples of why we need guns to oppose tyranny. Without Hitler as a poster child ("All those for gun control, raise your hand!" and Hitler does the 'Sieg Heil' gesture), the NRA loses an argument that harkens back to the days of the Framers of the Constitution. Unfortunately, facts are not so much a concern for the NRA. Generation of fear and protection of sales of firearms by large corporations are the NRA's concern.

   One irony noted by Professor Harcourt---there you go; a college professor: what does he know?---is that there frequently are Nazi-related memorabilia at gun shows. There are few (if any) at anti-gun rallies.

   Saturday's Show should be fun. Tune us in on "Indiana Talks" carried by "Live365," Saturday at 11 a.m.