There is no dichotomy or hypocrisy about it - I am for the death penalty in cases of murder - I am for significant prison terms for people who victimize others and cause them serious physical or financial injury. But what we are talking about is that there are many non-violent felonies and misdemeanors that lead to a life time ban on the RKBA, that there are many victimless crimes that are felonies that lead to a lifetime ban on the RKBA, and that there is no objective standard for the restoration of rights, once someone has completed their punishment and has become a productive and responsible citizen (in many states it is a crap shoot if you want to get your record expunged or your rights restored - if you have money or you know the right people then you probably can if you don't then you are often denied in many states) I have seen it happen to a lot of people who twenty years down the road still have many doors shut in their face because of their long ago past). In the scenario of someone who has stolen an identity why would you want to continue punishing them if they have served their time, completed parole, and paid restitution - does one need additional revenge? Or did the courts not sufficiently punish the offender with the original sentence - if that is the case then the problem is with the courts and the sentencing. As has been pointed out again and again - if they are fit to be released from prison and parole or probation - then they should be fit to be full citizens - if they are not they should still be in prison or under active supervision.
The idea that anyone convicted of any crime that is a felony, or that could be punishable by up to one year in jail, or for a DV misdemeanor should "automatically" be punished for the rest of there lives is barbaric and idiotic and hardly justice.
Lets be real - there are some law abiding people who should never own a firearm because they are unsafe and irresponsible (but I still don't support a test to own a firearm). There are ex-felons who are still criminals and who will continue to engage in criminal activity, (if that is the case then lets arrest them and put them away, but a blanket law against them owning a gun won't stop them from owning one if they want one). There are also ex-felons who after serving their punishment become very responsible and positive members of society and their community. I am not naive about this issue - for over 20 years I worked with individuals - about thirty to forty percent of them had past or pending felonies. I can tell you that the hard core criminals could care less about legal gun ownership - they had all the guns they wanted. The only people I saw affected by the ban of gun ownership and the loss of other rights were those who really were serious about turning their lives around.
I knew one individual who had a felony over thirty years ago - one that she would never have been convicted of if it happened today (she had a physically violent and sexually assaultive alcoholic husband who abused her and her daughter).
After her release, she joined and later worked in a church - she followed a path that led her to care for others and eventually to the point of being able to pursue careers as a nurse or as a counselor - guess what though - oops she is a felon so no counseling career for her in this state, no nursing career either. She sought relief through all the legal channels including the governor to the state - she had letters from church and community leaders - she jumped through all the hoops - nope so sorry. Guess she never should have hit him after he got drunk, cause he was done abusing her and her daughter by then - and her trying to get the car keys from him to get her and her daughter away from him was inexcusable and a felony. But she was lucky in one respect - her abusive ex-husband died before she was let out of prison - so he wasn't able to follow up on his threats to kill her - since she wouldn't have been able to have a gun to defend herself. She also did eventually get a job in counseling as a support worker (she couldn't be an accredited counselor because of her felony) but she eventually quit that job after being stalked by a former patient who took an unhealthy liking to her - she left work late at night and didn't like the idea of not being able to defend herself walking to her car in the dark or if the perp had discovered where she lived in her home.
As my brother a police officer likes to say - anyone can be arrested for breaking the law - because everyone breaks the law. Don't think you do - drive taking one of thousands of prescription drugs as prescribed or even if you took some yesterday and there is still a small amount in your bloodstream - then you drove with your kid, grandson, niece or nephew in your car - oops you just committed a felony DUI in this state. Made a inadvertent mistake on your taxes - better hope it isn't in your favor. Got a unloaded and encased firearm in your car but the state didn't process your firearm card in 90 days like they are required so your old one lapsed, you're a felon. Ex-spouse violates your rights to see your kids - you lose your temper and lose control of your tongue for a few seconds but then apologize - oops too late - DV charge - you just lost your RKBA for life.
Ah, but what’s the difference - its just "those people" isn't it. They deserve it, and if it "saves just one life." Besides, it will make us all "feel" safer.