When I mention that someone is a felon, what image does that conjure to your mind?
Is it some burly, terrifying figure, covered in face tattoos and scars, looking to beat you to death so they can score their next drug score? If so, you’re probably far from alone. It’s probably the most common stereotype for convicted felons, at least in my admittedly limited experience.
Yet there’s a large variety. Felons and their offenses range from people who made one mistake and have been paying for it for decades to those who look at prison as a way of life.
The thing is, when someone is a felon, we need to give them a path toward redemption. They shouldn’t be punished indefinitely for one mistake. Even if it’s more than one, if they’ve cleaned themselves up, they shouldn’t continue to be treated as a criminal.
And really, the Department of Justice is finally addressing that.
The rule invokes the Attorney General’s authority under 18 U.S.C. 925(c), which allows for relief from federal firearms prohibitions if the applicant is not considered “likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety.”
The move follows direction from President Donald J. Trump to address what the administration describes as widespread and undue restrictions on Second Amendment rights. The proposed rule would give non-violent offenders an opportunity to regain gun ownership rights while maintaining restrictions on those deemed high-risk.
“For too long, countless Americans with criminal histories have been permanently disenfranchised from exercising the right to keep and bear arms… irrespective of whether they actually pose a threat,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
Under the rule, individuals could apply for relief, and the Attorney General would assess each petition on a case-by-case basis. The rule specifies that violent felons, registered sex offenders, and undocumented immigrants will remain presumptively ineligible.
Of course, the usual suspects are continuing to freak out over this, pretending it’s some blanket restoration for anyone for anyone who has ever been convicted of anything.
It’s not.
Registered sex offenders and violent felons, for example, are people that just about everyone agrees shouldn’t be eligible for getting their gun rights restored. That leaves a lot of felonies on the table, but keeps the potentially worst offenders from being able to even realistically consider it.
Granted, violent felons who want guns will get guns regardless of whether they have their rights or not, but that’s a topic for another day.
And, as this is a case-by-case thing, those who are still worrisome aren’t going to be able to go out and buy a machine gun. It’s just not going to happen.
The truth of the matter is that there are a lot of people who got jammed up for some things that, while wrong, aren’t a sign of someone who is a pathological criminal. From bounced checks to someone lying a little bit on their taxes–I happen to believe that tax fraud shouldn’t be a crime but a civic duty, personally–some people screw up, get caught, get punished, but don’t represent a threat to anyone.
And there’s long been a process on the books to restore people’s gun rights.
The anti-gunners in Congress simply defunded the process so no one could take advantage of it. These are the same people who often talk about allowing felons to vote, by the way. It sounds like some rights are more equal than others, doesn’t it?
Editor’s Note: The radical left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
Help us continue to report on and expose the Democrats’ gun control policies and schemes. Join Bearing Arms VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Read the full article here
