No Den, a charge of posession does not say much, but one who spent many sleepless nights on standby, going on IRA operations, dodging security forces etc. says it all.
Bobby Sands was an IRA fighting man. A soldier of Ireland. Of course he posessed a gun. Did you think he was more a shillelagh man? A rolled up newspaper?
Yes, the Civil rights movement had a struggle, as did the US movement. And yes, their struggle should never have been needed. And yes it took much longer than it should.
Internment was nothing to do with it though. That was a disastrous reaction to PIRA's armed struggle for a unified Ireland.

Finally, Bloody Sunday was as I said , horrible, but it was not "the targeting and systematic killing and maiming of unarmed innocent men women and children "