A positive review of a new government agency tasked with supervising other agencies that already regulate a constitutional right. But sure, call me a cynic.
In a major shakeup at the U.S. Department of Justice, the Trump administration last week created the Second Amendment Rights Section within the Civil Rights Division. Under the leadership of Harmeet K. Dhillon, the division has already moved quickly to challenge gun-control laws, opening an investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department slow-walked approvals for concealed-carry permits.
The move signals a dramatic shift welcomed by those who support gun ownership, but it has provoked strong opposition from critics, who claim the division is straying from its traditional civil-rights mission — typically focused on racism, excessive force, and discrimination. What those critics overlook is that gun control laws disproportionately harm minorities, women, and the poor — the very people who benefit the most from being able to protect themselves.
“The Civil Rights Division’s new focus on the Second Amendment, which is far outside its longstanding mission, is moving us even further away from our nation’s commitment to protecting all Americans’ civil rights,” said Stacey Young, a former division attorney who resigned shortly after the current administration took office.
By John R. Lott Jr.
