RICHMOND — Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s order last month restoring the voting rights of 206,000 felons had an unintended consequence: It’s now easier for those ex-offenders to regain the right to own guns.

Before the order, felons who wanted to legally possess firearms first had to go through the process of having their civil rights reinstated, including the right to vote, to sit on a jury and to run for office.

That process — which involved submitting forms that were scrutinized by the secretary of the commonwealth’s staff, using the governor’s authority — is no longer in place.

Instead, felons who have completed their sentences can go straight to the step of petitioning the circuit court for firearm rights. Prosecutors review those petitions and can intervene if they believe a felon should continue to be barred from owning a weapon.

In Virginia, felon voting rights mean simpler path to gun ownership – WaPo

I have stated long ago that I have no issue with non-violent felons recovering their Second Amendment rights. There are far too many stupid laws that make felonies out of “crimes” that might be best addressed with a fine and some not even should be crimes. But let’s face it, the whole restoration of rights has been an electioneering ploy and a shinning example of why both parties have been stupid about this. The answer is in this paragraph lost in the middle of the article:

McAuliffe’s voting-rights order stressed the “unforgiving stigmatization” of ex-offenders who are not permitted to vote, sit on juries or run for office, saying the policy systematically disenfranchises them — often along racial and socioeconomic lines. The administration says 46 percent of ex-offenders are African American, compared with a statewide population that is 19 percent black.

So the Democrats play at the idea that ex-felon black voters will continue to vote Democrat as this section of the population does (Even though they may have gone to prison on account of was passed by Democrats)  and the Republican go against restoring the rights because they don’t want more voters to go to the Democratic candidates. Simple “assholery” on both side of the political game and has nothing to do with allowing citizens to enjoy the full spectrum of the Bill of Rights after paying their dues to society.

So, a mistake was made and the idea of a bunch of black folks suddenly being able to keep and bear arms has a bunch of white politicians doing anal crunches. And of course, our delightful opponents at CSGV are not happy with the idea either:

Gun-control advocate Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, says the effect of McAuliffe’s order on gun ownership should have been considered more carefully before the governor took action.

“We are concerned that this opens the door for potentially dangerous persons to get their firearms rights restored,” Horwitz said. “It is very important for the courts to understand the risk factors that are involved here.”

Negroes with Guns is still a scary proposition for some political white folk out there. I guess they are not as open-minded and inclusive as they have been telling us all these years. And if the Republican establishment had half a brain (doubtful as of some behavior lately) they would back up full restoration of rights for Non-Violent felons with the same gusto as if they were appropriating funds for their favorite porcine project.

Hat tip to John R.