Gun Rights Get a New Champion in the Justice Department

The Justice Department is shaking things up by creating a new office focused on protecting gun rights. This office, named the Second Amendment Rights Section, will start its work on December 4. Its main job is to look into local laws that might be limiting people's right to own guns. This move comes from a plan President Trump announced earlier this year. He asked the Attorney General to check if any government rules are getting in the way of gun ownership. The Second Amendment of the U. S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, but it's a topic that sparks a lot of debate. Some people strongly support gun rights, while others want stricter laws because of the high number of gun-related deaths. So far this year, there have been 378 mass shootings. A mass shooting is defined as an event where four or more people are hurt or killed, not including the shooter. This new office is part of a bigger effort by the Trump administration to redefine civil rights. Traditionally, civil rights have focused on issues like racial discrimination and police behavior. The Justice Department didn't comment on this change. However, some people are not happy about it. Stacey Young, a former attorney from the Civil Rights Division, said this new focus is moving away from the division's original mission of protecting all Americans' civil rights. Earlier this year, the Justice Department started looking into claims that the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department was making it hard for people to get permits to carry concealed weapons. This investigation started after gun-rights groups filed a lawsuit. The Civil Rights Division was created in 1957 and got more power in 1994 to investigate police departments for violating people's rights. Recently, the department has been withdrawing or trying to withdraw agreements with cities and states over their police practices. The Justice Department doesn't need Congress's approval to make this change. They just have to notify Congress. The department said they can do this with their current funds and staff, and the Office of Management and Budget didn't have any issues with telling Congress about the reorganization.