The Aftermath of Biden’s First 100 Days

Carolyn D. Meadows, the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) president, wrote a clever and informative column in the June/July 2021 edition of American Rifleman, an NRA publication, where she describes Biden’s agenda following his first 100 days in office. Meadows notes Biden has “established a pattern of attacks on the protections afforded law-abiding citizens in this country.” She notes Biden likes to “cloud the issue” of his gun-control agenda by lying, claiming “most gun owners support further restrictions on gun rights,” pretending gun manufacturers are immune to lawsuits, and acting as if “responsible gun owners are the cause of crimes.”

Meadows contends, “Biden’s lying is so bad that even left-leaning media outlets finally decided to call him out on some of the claims he’s made.” As an example, Meadows notes Biden has claimed people at gun shows can buy anything they want without a background check. But Meadows notes, “Regardless of the venue, all licensed firearms dealers are required by law to run background checks.” She adds, “Anyone regularly engaging in firearms sales is required to become a licensed dealer, and thus to run background checks, even at gun shows.” Meadows notes that as a Senator, Biden participated in the debates regarding the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which “shields gun manufacturers and related businesses only from frivolous lawsuits.” Nevertheless, she notes Biden has claimed that, “it shields them from all liability for their products.” Meadows contends Biden wants the PLCAA reversed to enable the state and others to “sue manufacturers out of existence, effectively eradicating Second Amendment rights without the messy legal process of actually amending the U.S. Constitution.”

Meadows noted Biden has issued several executive orders targeting gun owners. For example, Biden wants to target what he calls “ghost guns,” including stabilizing braces, and enacting “red-flag” laws. These laws, notes Meadows, “turn due process on its head and leave dangerous people free to harm others.” On top of all this, Biden’s nominee to be the head of the ATF is “gun-control advocate David Chapman.” Chapman, notes Meadows, “has a long, controversial history that should give anyone pause.” Not leaving anything to chance, Biden’s administration is also “applying significant pressure on Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, threatening to remove the filibuster and to pack the Court with left-leaning, anti-gun justices.”

Carolyn Meadows concludes there are very few with the means to withstand the onslaught from Biden’s administration. She notes, “There is only one group that has the strength in numbers to stand up to this assault on freedom. That is, of course, your NRA.” In a final word of advise, Meadows notes, “Be sure that you are staying engaged and active in the public policy arena. Why? Because we have a country to save!” These are true words of wisdom. As John Browne Cutting wrote to John Adams in a letter dated 17 July 1790, “Patience, vigilance, prudence and unwearied perseverance—are our only weapons.”