>>23969577 (pb)
This originates from an interpretation of the commerce clause. It's worse than you think. A felon is generally considered a lesser person; this interpretation allows you to considered not part of "the people" in the statement. You generally have to wait for your rights to return; in some cases you need to move to a different state. The U.S. Attorney General has the statutory authority to grant relief through an administrative process (18 U.S.C. § 925(c)), but democrats in congress have routinely blocked it since 1990 before this current administration's DoJ.