As Federal Actions Shift, One Question Remains: Who Is Watching the System?
We are now in the early phase of the second year of this administration, where we recognize a vast array of changes in the dispensation of justice, from the one federal agency tasked with providing citizens with the true results they deserve. That agency is the Department of Justice, created by Congress in 1870, with a storied history in American justice and society, particularly “to uphold the rule of law.”
Who Comprises the DOJ?
The Department is headed by the United States Attorney General, who reports directly to the President of the United States and is a member of the Cabinet. The DOJ is comprised of forty separate components and organizations and maintains offices in all states and territories within the United States, and in some foreign countries. Congress created the Attorney General’s office via the Judiciary Act of 1789. Subsequently, Congress created the Justice Department in 1870, under President Ulysses S. Grant.
DOJ Organizational Responsibilities
In reviewing the broad components of the Department of Justice, we noted that their organizational responsibilities are assigned to a varied structure: At the top is the Attorney General, then comes the Deputy Attorney General, followed by the Associate Attorney General, with the Solicitor General being next in line. These positions are responsible for managing the following divisions and organizations: The Civil Rights Division, the Antitrust Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as the Violence Against Women Office.
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Civil and Voting Rights Cases
Both the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have a long history of involvement with civil rights and voting rights cases. From the late 1950s to the marches of the 1960s, there were many acts of violence against civil rights groups and individuals active in the pursuit of equal rights, as well as voting rights. Between these two agencies, cases were prosecuted and won for the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and for the convictions of Klan members, who murdered three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964. Numerous other cases are just as deserving of mention, but these are very prominent in my mind.
Voter Rolls Requested
As we move forward, it must be noted that the DOJ, under the current administration, has requested voter rolls from all states, to which some have complied, and others have chosen to decline the requests, which has led the DOJ to take legal action. We have yet to ascertain what the rolls will be used for. The filing of charges against the SPLC, alleging support for hate groups, is another instance of change, not for the better.
WE, the People, must come to a point of realizing that some of the most critical support must come from within our own communities. To know that 89 million voters “opted out” in the 2024 election is disturbing. Will you get out and get involved? It is to everyone’s benefit!
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