Historian Gerald Horne tracks the evolution of the gun debate starting from slavery during the country's founding, the post-Civil War reconstruction in the south, and through today's era of mass incarceration. Horne says: You have to recognize that like most provisos of the U.S. Constitution, formulated in the late 18th century, there was both a class and race bias to these provisions, which is one of the reasons why it's so difficult for people of color today to receive Constitutional protection.