Considering how the Department of Justice was used to abuse the rights of conservative and libertarian-leaning Americans during the Biden and Obama administrations, it’s a bit jarring to me to write a headline about a DOJ official (even a former one) actually trying to help Americans with their Second Amendment rights.
But I wrote it because that is actually the case. And it’s just like it sounds. Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff with Reuters writes,
Former U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin is launching a new gun rights group aimed at restoring firearm access to Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes, an initiative that seeks to boost conservative turnout in this fall’s midterm elections.
Martin, who left the Justice Department last week, said the group, Firearm Rights for Americans, was an idea encouraged by President Donald Trump during their final Oval Office meeting.
Now, if you’re not familiar with the recent efforts to restore the Second Amendment rights of certain felons, you can find out more about it here.
To be clear, not all felons will be eligible to have their 2A rights restored. Tom Gantert writes,
The Justice Department stated that each application will be considered individually.
The [new] rule establishes strong presumptions against restoring firearm rights to people whose crimes, conduct, or status indicate an increased risk to public safety. Absent extraordinary circumstances, violent felons, registered sex offenders, illegal aliens, and others who pose an ongoing danger will be presumed ineligible for restoration.
So, what exactly will Martin’s organization be doing? Their intent is to mobilize single-issue voters who vote specifically on gun rights (which, frankly, could be many of you reading this right now) to vote in the midterm, and they plan on doing that through their plan “to produce and distribute written and video testimonials from individuals seeking to regain gun ownership.”
Will the group make a meaningful difference in the midterm elections? I can’t say. I certainly hope so, though.
After all, the more people who are voting to protect our 2A rights, the better it will be for everyone in our country. I absolutely believe that.