DOJ Sues Colorado Over Gun Control Law

Intro: 

Just a bit of background as to why I chose this particular piece of news. This past week, a teen at my local high school was shot to death on my path to school. He was a senior and set to graduate in a month. It just makes me really sad to see a government that is actively cracking down on states trying to prevent tragedies like this. 

What Happened?

On May 6, the Department of Justice filed a complaint against Colorado over their long-standing gun control policy. In 2013, Colorado implemented a policy that made it illegal to use or sell guns with a magazine capacity of more than 15. This came in the wake of a shooting that killed 12 and injured 58.  

Is it legal?

Much as I hate to admit it, yes, the Justice Department has some legal standing. Many guns can carry more than 15 rounds. And according to District of Colombia vs. Heller and New York vs. Bruen, it is legal for people to carry the most common gun for the purposes of self-defense. So, if most guns can carry more than 15 bullets, this ban is technically illegal. But that is not the point. It is impossible to prosecute every crime; it just can’t be done. So, the justice system has to prioritize. If we have ICE agents murdering people on one hand, and a law that has arguably saved thousands on the other, which should we prosecute? Let’s mull that over. There are so many crimes that the DOJ could and should focus their finite resources on. But they choose a law that prevents a 62% higher death toll, according to the American Journal of Public Health. The issue isn’t the legality of the complaint it’s the policy and ethical violations. Why in the world are we going after a law that saves lives! 

Why?

So, why would the DOJ do this. Because it is part of the Trump administration and is therefore hopelessly partisan. It is kind of ironic that they cite the Constitution when the Trump administration has possessed such complete disregard for it when is doesn’t fit their needs. For example, who really needs Congress to declare war when there is no imminent threat. And it is fine for ICE to detain people with legal citizenship. But when it comes to the 2^nd Amendment, our founding legal document suddenly becomes important. Hmmm.