On Rights and Discrimination

Eric Holder has backed himself into another corner. Discrimination as it applies to basic rights in society, cannot be tolerated. David Codrea writing in today's Gun Rights Examiner applies logic where it should be applied.

The basic premise is this: The Department of Justice is saying that a South Carolina law which requires potential voters to present a valid, state issued, photo identification before exercising the right to vote is not valid because it impacts minority voters disparagingly. Minority voters, you see are 20% less likely to have a state issued photo I.D. than white voters. So what is being said it, that the requirement to provide a state issued photo I.D. before one can exercise a constitutionally secured right is invalid.

Federal law, however demands that before a person is permitted to purchase a firearm, he must provide a state issued photo I.D. and that if he does not he cannot legally purchase a firearm.

The money quote from Gun Rights Examiner:


So a voter drive to ensure that everyone has proper ID is out of the question and too much of a burden on the electorate?  And racist to boot? And the solution is, in order to ensure minority voter rights are effectively enfranchised, that no positive identification of eligibility is required?
Here’s the thing: Let’s take the DOJ’s rationale for overturning the will of South Carolinians as enacted by their lawful representatives at face value, instead of the politically-motivated fraud designed to disenfranchise Republicans they know it is.  If Perez is correct, that lack of state-issued photo ID is 20% more likely to disenfranchise minorities from their right to vote, why would we not also believe it would have a similar effect on their right to purchase a firearm, as is specified on ATF’s Form 4473 requiring a driver’s license or “valid government issued photo identification,” and similar forms as proof of eligibility?

The government can’t have it both ways.  By their own admission and actions, they consider a requirement to produce official photo identification as discriminatory, with a significant statistical impact on the enfranchisement of minority rights.  Heller and McDonald leave no doubt that the Second Amendment articulates an individual right recognized by the federal government and applicable to the states, and it is the duty of the Department of Justice to ensure that denials of rights are prosecuted.

I have pointed out before that hypocrites don't like their hypocrisy pointed out. They want to be hypocrites, they just hate being called hypocrites.