OPINION: The appointment of FBI Director Kash Patel as acting head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is bringing calls for an overhaul of the embattled federal gun agency, but in order to bring about real change, gun control laws must be altered or even repealed as well.
This would constitute genuine “gun reform,” a term which has been corrupted by the gun prohibition lobby as camo-speak for gun control.
The prospect has anti-gunners fearful and furious at the same time, as illustrated by a remark from Democrat Congresswoman Robin Kelly of Illinois, quoted by Fox News, calling Patel “a gun lobby puppet who has no business leading the FBI or the ATF.” Translation: ATF and FBI is exactly where Patel belongs, at least for the time being.
Where to begin with gun law reform? Congressional Republicans must be all aboard, and they have only two years to really get this done, prior to the mid-term elections of 2026.
One key might be in the results of Gallup polling over the past couple of years. According to Gallup, “In 2024, 56% of Americans think gun laws should be made more strict, 10% think they should be less strict, and 33% think they should be kept as they are now. This is consistent with the data from 2023, where 56% also thought gun laws should be more strict, 12% thought they should be less strict, and 31% thought they should be kept as they are now.”
However, Gallup added this observation: “Over the long-term trend, there has been a significant decrease in the percentage of Americans who think gun laws should be made more strict.”
Last fall, Gallup polling revealed an increase in the number of people who personally have guns in their homes. Gallup said 48 percent of survey respondents now answer “yes” to that question, whereas in October 2023, 42 percent had guns in their homes and in October 2022, it was 45 percent. In October 2021, the number was back at 42 percent.
Just as significantly, the percentage of people saying there is no gun in the home fell markedly, from 55 percent in October 2023 to 47 percent in October 2024.
Another Gallup revelation: “In 2025, 10% of Americans are very satisfied with the nation’s gun laws, 27% are somewhat satisfied, 21% are somewhat dissatisfied, 37% are very dissatisfied, and 3% have no opinion.”
What does this mean? The number of people dissatisfied with the nation’s gun control laws far outnumber those who are very satisfied. However, 40 percent say gun laws should be stricter, while only 12 percent want the laws relaxed. Thirty-seven percent are satisfied with gun laws as they are right now.
The numbers signal a change. Last year, 46 percent wanted stricter gun control laws, suggesting an increasing number of people think we’ve reached a limit on gun control restrictions.
Lastly, Gallup noted in its Fall 2024 poll that 34 percent of Americans say they personally own a gun and 15 percent say they live in a house where another person owns a gun.
“This shows an increase in personal gun ownership compared to 2023, where 30% reported personally owning a gun, 13% reported that another household member owns a gun, 54% reported no gun ownership,” Gallup said at the time.
For the gun prohibition movement, Donald Trump literally put the writing on the wall with his Feb. 7 Executive Order on guns and the Second Amendment.
“Section 1. Purpose. The Second Amendment is an indispensable safeguard of security and liberty. It has preserved the right of the American people to protect ourselves, our families, and our freedoms since the founding of our great Nation. Because it is foundational to maintaining all other rights held by Americans, the right to keep and bear arms must not be infringed.
“Sec. 2. Plan of Action. (a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General shall examine all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other actions of executive departments and agencies (agencies) to assess any ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens, and present a proposed plan of action to the President, through the Domestic Policy Advisor, to protect the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.
(b) In developing such proposed plan of action, the Attorney General shall review, at a minimum:
(i) All Presidential and agencies’ actions from January 2021 through January 2025 that purport to promote safety but may have impinged on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens;
(ii) Rules promulgated by the Department of Justice, including by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, from January 2021 through January 2025 pertaining to firearms and/or Federal firearms licensees;
(iii) Agencies’ plans, orders, and actions regarding the so-called “enhanced regulatory enforcement policy” pertaining to firearms and/or Federal firearms licensees;
(iv) Reports and related documents issued by the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention;
(v) The positions taken by the United States in any and all ongoing and potential litigation that affects or could affect the ability of Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights;
(vi) Agencies’ classifications of firearms and ammunition; and
(vii) The processing of applications to make, manufacture, transfer, or export firearms.
“Sec. 3. Implementation. Upon submission of the proposed plan of action described in section 2 of this order, the Attorney General shall work with the Domestic Policy Advisor to finalize the plan of action and establish a process for implementation.”
It is Section 2(b)(ii) which has the gun control crowd quaking. Even before the November election, the Brady United gun ban group was in hysterics, declaring that Trump’s pro-Second Amendment agenda would include “arming teachers, cutting community violence intervention funding, and increasing police violence.”
Brady didn’t stop there, instead trying to bring race and gender politics into the battle.
“The language used in the writing he stands by,” Brady asserted, “will harm Black and Brown Americans and members of the LGBTQ+ community – people who are already disproportionately affected by gun violence.”
To accomplish all of what the president and gun owners appear to want—including an overhaul at ATF, if not an outright shutdown of the agency followed by a complete restructuring—will likely require amending or repealing at least some existing gun control laws.
Here are some suggestions:
- Ban waiting periods for gun purchases and require all states to be tied in with the FBI’s National Instant Check System, to avoid fiascos such as happened in Washington state last year, when the state system shut down for more than two weeks. (*If the waiting period cannot be entirely scrapped, it should at least allow for same-day transfers for anyone possessing an active concealed carry permit or license, since they have already gone through a background check to get the permit/license).
- Prohibit purchase limits on firearms and ammunition which may restrict citizens to one gun per month and remove limits on the amount of ammunition someone can buy in bulk.
- Outlaw “permit-to-purchase” statutes anywhere they now exist. This is the United States, not a Police State. Law-abiding citizens do not need permission from the police in order to exercise a right protected by the constitution.
One final thought, which seems to appeal to gun owners in states such as Washington, Oregon, California, New York and other places with increasingly restrictive gun laws, is that the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division should target state laws which deprive citizens of their constitutional rights under color of such laws.
As the NRA posted on “X” the other day, “For far too long, ATF has focused on how it can manipulate federal statutes to restrict the rights of law-abiding Americans. We look forward to working with Acting Director Patel to protect and expand Second Amendment freedoms.”
The appointment of FBI Director @Kash_Patel as Acting Director of the ATF is a great first step by President Trump to reform this deeply troubled agency.
For far too long, ATF has focused on how it can manipulate federal statutes to restrict the rights of law-abiding Americans.… pic.twitter.com/T3ILQNrheD
— NRA (@NRA) February 24, 2025
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About Dave Workman
Montana…. Where 66% of the population is armed, where Permitless carry is the standard, where openly carried firearms are normal, where the State celebrates the Right to Bear Arms for the entire first week of March. Yes People all of this is possible in YOUR State if you work for it. Long Live the Republic!!
Workman’s right, Patel can help, but he can’t do it all, neither can Trump. If the GOP doesn’t move on 2A, and quickly, by government standards, they’re going to take a beating in the mid terms as many gun owners, if given the option between a Democrat, and a wishy washy John Cornyn type Republican, won’t vote for either.
As we can see with every new day their was a huge army in the federal government the deep state which has used bureaucracy to undermine the republic. Gun owners have played a bigger roll then they know the fact remains they have failed to disarm the American public. Unlike Europe we have fought back to keep our American way if life. Democrats will continue to use guns as a talking point fear and divided is there call to action. God & Country let us all pray that the asylum that was Washington is getting boarded up while those workers… Read more »
would be fun to watch the left melt down , with fbi investigating state police for violating peoples second amendment rights, and arresting them
The 0NLY gun law needed is in the Bill of RIGHTS, the Second Amendment, and that SHALL NOT be infringed.
Otherwise, murder is already illegal.
wait a minute. in 2024 gallup said 56% think there should be more/stricter gun laws. in 2025 they said 58% were dissatisfied with gun laws and 37% satisfied, 3% no opinion. what about the other 2%. can they not add up to 100?
what bizarro world do they live in? they should gallop their asses out of the polls.
how about getting rid of judges that don’t rule according to the precedent set by scotus? that would help quite a bit.
like justice thomas said, the Second Amendment is not a second class right.
I’ve typed this comment three times. It all comes down to this. It’s hard to stay positive. We’ve got a government full of empty suits and empty skirts that “refuse” to acknowledge our inalienable rights. Their power comes from keeping us oppressed. That is all.
Minnesota is a “permit to purchase state”. We must have a “Permit To Purchase A Handgun” from the nearest law enforcement office, in my case the local police chief. We must fill out a form, pretty similar to a 4473, but the main difference is, we MUST give the police chief the PERMISSION to access our mental health records, if any exist. Further, despite being, a “Permit To Purchase A Handgun”, that’s what it says on my little card, that I must go and renew each year down at the police station, what the card DOES NOT tell you, is… Read more »
I would add to his suggestions:
Outlaw firearms registries by any and all names, including State “sales records”. The only reason for a government to possess a list of firearm owners & the weapons they own is so that the government knows who to disarm, imprison, or kill.
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The second amendment to the constitution of the United States of America, found in the Bill of RIGHTS — not not a convenience or something to be gifted by some government official — a Constitutionally guaranteed and protected RIGHT. Therefore, every “law” that in any way restricts or denies a free American citizen’s right to keep and bear arms is actually illegal and should be taken off the books AND anyone who has ever been convicted… Read more »