President Joe Biden claims to support legalization of marijuana and forgiving those previously charged with pot possession. Yet his administration has worked overtime to block gun rights to those who legally use the drug either recreationally or medicinally.
Even more incredibly, in a Tenth Circuit case, Biden’s Justice Department actually argued that the District Court erred when it rejected antiquated laws disarming Catholics when considering a present-day case involving marijuana.
No really. Earlier this year, ol’ Joe read what was on the Prompter in front of him, announcing his deep “commitment” to “equal justice” for those convicted of marijuana possession. From Marijuana Moment . . .
President Joe Biden on Monday said that marijuana reform is part of his commitment to “equal justice,” arguing that people should be released from prison and have their records cleared for simple possession.
Speaking at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day hosted by the National Action Network’s (NAN), the president said he was keeping his “promise” by providing relief to those who’ve been criminalized over cannabis.
At almost the exact same time, the US Justice Department sought the prosecution of a marijuana user for also possessing a gun. A federal grand jury indicted Jared Harrison on the charge. Unfortunately for the US Attorney, a district court judge tossed the indictment as a violation of the Second Amendment on a motion from Harrison’s attorneys.
Now, in the case of US v. Harrison, the Justice Department has filed a brief arguing that laws disarming Catholics were righteous and serve as a valid historical analogue in support of the present-day ban on marijuana users possessing firearms.
The district court erred when it rejected laws disarming Catholics and loyalists.
i. The district court misapprehended the reason for the laws and the
government’s argument about them.
The district court erred for several reasons when it rejected the use of founding-era laws disarming Catholics and loyalists. To begin, the district court as a factual matter misconstrued the reason the laws were enacted and the government’s argument regarding them. In its order, the district court described those laws as “a variety of rather ignominious historical restrictions that [the government] argues demonstrates a historical tradition permitting legislatures to disarm those whom the legislature views as ‘untrustworthy…’”
In short, whatever the Meat Puppet in Chief may say in front of the cameras, the Department of Justice continues the fight against guns by arguing in support or racist, classist, and sexist gun control laws. Like the scorpion on the frog’s back, they just can’t help themselves.
