Think Progress is celebrating the end of the "boyfriend loophole" in the Violence Against Women Act but this is not something to celebrate. It is something to oppose. First, the fact that someone could lose their Second Amendment rights over a misdemeanor conviction is disturbing. Violent felons should not have guns, and provided they are given due process, it is reasonable to restrict their liberties. They are the ones who freely made those choices, after all. (Of course, we need to fairly and logically define what a "violent felon" is, because even that definition can be greatly expanded.) But misdemeanors is a bridge too far and will be abused.
Some thoughts on VAWA
Some thoughts on VAWA
Some thoughts on VAWA
Think Progress is celebrating the end of the "boyfriend loophole" in the Violence Against Women Act but this is not something to celebrate. It is something to oppose. First, the fact that someone could lose their Second Amendment rights over a misdemeanor conviction is disturbing. Violent felons should not have guns, and provided they are given due process, it is reasonable to restrict their liberties. They are the ones who freely made those choices, after all. (Of course, we need to fairly and logically define what a "violent felon" is, because even that definition can be greatly expanded.) But misdemeanors is a bridge too far and will be abused.