The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) opening of its Federal Firearm Rights Restoration application process to the American public on Wednesday was a smashing success.
After decades without a roadmap to regain Second Amendment protections for non-violent offenders who completed their sentences, the portal hit its 5,000-applicant limit on opening day, and the window closed.
The site will be operational again in January, but it will accept only 500 renewal applications then.
Overwhelming public response to unveiling of gun rights restoration protocols
Attorney General Todd Blanche, in one of his first acts after being sworn in, said justice and public safety are both served by the “unprecedented restoration of firearm rights” for potentially millions of Americans.
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and the federal government should not permanently deprive Americans of a constitutional right without regard to whether they pose a danger to public safety,” Blanche declared. “This rule establishes a rigorous, commonsense process that protects the public while giving Americans a real path toward restoration.”
The restoration process itself has not been illegal, but Congress some three decades ago stripped its funding. This left a large swath of some 30 million Americans who paid their debts to society yet were still denied fundamental rights.
Process designed to protect public safety
Even as thousands clamored for the opportunity for a fresh start, officials noted that the outcome is not automatic and there are no guarantees. Much depends on the applicant’s conduct since encountering trouble and whether there are indications that they pose a public safety risk.
But having non-violent offenders stripped of constitutional rights forever reeks of injustice and unusual punishment that is not supported by the nation’s historical tradition of gun laws.
A reasonable and orderly restoration process was long overdue.
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