Prepping When Physically Disabled and Low Income, by Just A Dad

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Each of us has our own trials, these need not keep us from accomplishing what is necessary. For the sake of you, the reader, my disability began when I was 11 years old with a major single-car accident. My spine decided to advance to Grade IV spondylolisthesis, it was not until I was in my late 20s that I found out it was congenital on my mother’s side. That said, after a few surgeries, months in the hospital, traction, full-body casts and learning to walk again, I decided to move forward with my life. I worked for close to two decades in a variety of fields, most including relatively hard physical labor. In 2007 my left leg stopped working and I was diagnosed with grade V, the end result is a fully physically disabled individual.

My wife and two amazing children have been a Godsend to my life. P is for the perseverance of the Saints, and in my experience perseverance is not limited only to one’s spiritual self. So, how do I prep for my family of four with a total income under $17,000 USD, annually?

Garden: your local area will have gardening groups, I use local chapters of the Extension Master Gardener –  we have limited space and therefore apply container gardening approaches whenever possible. We grow sweet potatoes as well as two or three other varieties of potatoes. These offer nutrition and generally large returns, regardless of location. In addition, we grow a few other items that help offset food needs. You really do want a good size (10 square feet) compost pit. This comes in handy for feed needs with chickens as well! We grow earthworms in the compost and encourage bugs as well, also, we put all food scraps into the compost. Not everyone will agree, but, the compost we have is quite rich and very healthy! Be willing to learn and adjust your approaches as needed.

Chickens, Goats or Rabbits

I cannot stress enough the importance of raising your own protein. For we who are limited in funds, chickens, goats and rabbits are pound-for-pound the best return on your money. They are also relatively easy to raise and keep even with limited space. We raise Amaracauna and Rhode Island Red breeds. However Leghorns are amazing as well. With one  Rooster and 6 or 7 layers we stay quite healthy. We also raise Belgian rabbits. With two breeders and a stud, our freezer stays quite full. If you are buying chicks or kits understand you will lose maybe 1 for every 5 you buy before they are large enough to eat. While a bit sad, it actually strengthens the warren or flock to lose the weaker ones. Continue reading“Prepping When Physically Disabled and Low Income, by Just A Dad”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books, and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how-to” self-sufficiency videos. There is also an emphasis on links to sources for storage food and a variety of storage and caching containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This week, some of the few Baofeng UV-5R multiband transceivers still available in the United States. (See the Gear & Grub section.)

Books:

Butchering Poultry, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, and Pork: The Comprehensive Photographic Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering

o  o  o

The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook: Recipes and Techniques for Every Hunter and Angler

o  o  o

Amazingly, this book by bestselling history author Arthur Herman is being offered for pre-order, nine months in advance! The Viking Heart: How Scandinavians Conquered the World

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — November 24, 2020

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Important Note: I’ve decided to launch my Friday of Color Week Sale early, at Elk Creek Company.  It will begin today (Tuesday, November 24, 2020.)  It will end at midnight, Pacific time on Friday, November 27, 2020. Note the sharply-reduced prices. Keep in mind that I’ll be traveling for the entire month of December, and I’ll then be putting the company on an order-taking hiatus. So this is your last chance to buy a few pre-1899 antique guns from us in 2020. I should also mention that our inventory has been drawn down to just 45 pieces. Our re-stocking isn’t keeping up with demand. “Going, going…”

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 91 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

PM Your Body, by ChemEngineer

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Preventive Maintenance (PM) is a series of activities and procedures performed on machines to keep them in top shape and functioning properly over the long term. The body is a biological machine, and needs a certain amount of Preventive Maintenance (PM) to work well when it is needed to work. This is a compilation of some things that can be done to make that personal machine run better, ready for whatever tasks that it is asked to do. This is my list, I am not a medical professional so do not take it as that, and as always, mileage may vary.

Momma told us most of these tips, we may have forgotten some of them. First and foremost, get a Medical Kit and learn how to use it, and stock some of the materials in it.

Move

It has been said for years, but moving keeps the body able to continue moving. Muscles need to work, tendons need to stretch, bursa between bones needs to be exercised. Take that walk in the woods, or to the store, or around the yard. Stretch and do some squats. Use the hands to do things, make things, repair things. Pick up those things on the floor and stretch out that back. Soreness may come, but it will work itself out if the body can keep moving. As a former football coach used to say, “Walk it off”… Well, choose wisely. If not, take ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If Rangers use it (Ranger Candy = 800 mg Ibuprofen), I’ll use it. Skeletal issues, injuries, and assorted other major calamities aside, movement is a good thing.

Care for Teeth

Taking care of permanent teeth will take care of the whole body. One set per customer, for life. Brush them, rinse with hydrogen peroxide, floss them, go to the dentist and get them cleaned regularly because they check them out at the same time that they clean them. Infections can be prevented by the hydrogen peroxide rinse, just don’t swallow it.

Don’t let Infections Get a Hold

Basics. If for cuts and blisters or some break in the skin, clean it with soap and water, apply some treatment like hand sanitizer (alcohol over 62%) or antibiotic cream or ointment (we used to use merthiolate or benzalkonium chloride), and cover it with an appropriate bandage. Preventing little infections keeps them from becoming big problems. Change the dressing regularly, and continue to clean and hit it with the treatment of choice before putting a clean bandage back on it. Oh, and of course, wash the hands. Wash them more than is necessary.Continue reading“PM Your Body, by ChemEngineer”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, a news story about some Spokane bicycle thieves. (See the Central & Eastern Washington section.)

Idaho

Second grizzly bear poaching in two months reported in Idaho county

o  o  o

Hundreds of steelhead to be released into the Boise River Thursday afternoon

o  o  o

The tangled web gets more tangled: Police reviewing investigation into the death of Lori Vallow Daybell’s third husband

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, ‘just men who will rule in the fear of God.’ The preservation of [our] government depends on the faithful discharge of this Duty; if the citizens neglect their Duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the Laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizen will be violated or disregarded. If [our] government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine Commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the Laws.” – Noah Webster

Preparedness Notes for Monday — November 23, 2020

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On November 23rd, 1980, a 7.2-magnitude quake struck southern Italy killing more than 3,000 people. The casualty toll was probably so high because the tremor struck during Sunday night mass, as many residents sat in churches that crumbled in the quake. The quake was centered in Eboli, south of Naples. In nearby Balvano, children were preparing to receive their first communion at the 1,000-year-old Conza Della Comapgna church. The church was demolished and killed dozens of people, including 26 children.

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Please keep in mind that I will be traveling for the month of December, so if you want to order any antique cartridge guns from Elk Creek Company, then get your order in before that month-long hiatus. Thanks!

—

Today we present another product review written by our ever-faithful Field Gear Editor,  Pat Cascio.

Taurus G2C and G2S, by Pat Cascio

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A quick test: Who is the largest maker of handguns in the free world? Nope, you’re wrong if you guessed anyone except Taurus Firearms. Most people would have probably guessed Ruger, Smith & Wesson, SIG-Sauer, or take your pick. However, Taurus produces more handguns than any other gun company in the world. Then we have the gun buyers who complain that Taurus doesn’t produce good or reliable firearms – and they would be wrong, once again. Look, every gun maker, no matter how good of a company they are, has some “lemons” sneak out the door – it just happens from time-to-time. Truth be told, Taurus has about a 1-to-1.5% return rate on their guns for some reason – and that is pretty low. Many other gun makers have a return rate a bit higher than that. However, when you are manufacturing so many firearms, it would “appear” that you are shipping out a lot of “bad” guns – when the truth be told, you’re doing better than most gun makers. I don’t know if Taurus test-fires each and every gun they ship out – but even if they did, if a gun goes bang when you pull the trigger a couple times, doesn’t mean it will go bang when it comes into your hands – it just happens!

Very Slow Customer Service

At one time Taurus had one of the best Customer Service departments in the gun industry. Sad to report, that isn’t the case any longer: Presently their customer service reputation is one of the worst. Taurus USA is blaming it on their 2019 move from Miami, Florida to Bainbridge, Georgia. (Bainbridge is near the Georgis-Florida state line.) Well, that could explain a slow down in some respects. However, when you send in a firearm for warranty service – and Taurus, warranties their guns for life – you would expect a turnaround of a couple weeks. But Taurus now has a four-month to six-month turnaround. Yes, you read that right, and they admit that is too long, and are working to resolve this issue. My local gun shop has had a Taurus handgun for a year now, waiting on parts – that’s no way to do business. Recently, I purchased a Taurus G3, and it is an outstanding 9mm pistol – that I will put up against any similar pistol – it is “that” good. It comes with one 15-round flush-fitting mag, and one slightly extended 17-round mag. I elected to get another 17-round mag direct from Taurus – well, eight-weeks later, and four snail-mails and two e-mails and two phone calls to Taurus and I finally got the spare magazine – shouldn’t be that way – period! In the future, I’ll order Taurus magazines from a dealer online.

The Compact G2C

I own a few of the G2C models from Taurus, and the “C” stands for Compact – and it is a compact 12-round 9mm pistol, that only weighs in at 22-ounces. The magazine is a double stack design. My wife carries a G2C in a hidden compartment in her purse. That is her usual daily carry gun. She switches off to her SIG Sauer P365 every now and then but loves her G2C and she can hit what she’s aiming at with it. Her G2C has proven 100% reliable with all kinds of ammo – as have my own samples. The G2C is 1.20-inches wide and 5.10-inch tall, and the barrel is 3.2-inches long. The front sight is fixed, and the rear adjustable for windage and elevation. And, I’ve found that I always have to adjust the rear sight upward – or it shoots too low for me – on all of my Taurus pistols with adjustable rear sights. The G2C is a striker-fired pistol, and comes in a wide variety of frame colors – and the slide can be had in a couple of different colors.

Continue reading“Taurus G2C and G2S, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: St. Funogas DIY Sweet Cornbread Mix

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The following recipe for a DIY Sweet Cornbread Mix is from SurvivalBlog reader “St. Funogas”.

This should more properly be called D**n Yankee Cornbread Mix since no self-respecting Southerner would put sugar in their cornbread. Adjust ingredients as needed.

I make this mix in batches large enough to fit a two-quart mason jar, which makes 10 servings in the microwave in a 5” x 7” Pyrex dish, or 5 servings of 8 x 8 cornbread in a conventional oven.

This recipe will work after the grid goes down since the ingredients (or substitutes) will still be home-produced by many preppers.

One quick note about cornmeal: Cornmeal can be made from any kind of corn: field, sweet, and even popcorn. I’ve read, but not yet tried, that freshly-ground cornmeal has a better taste than store-bought since many of the flavor-producing volatile oils are still present. Also, popcorn meal has an extra-special, sweet, nutty flavor.

If you’re not accustomed to using grams when cooking, give it a try. Put the mixing bowl on your kitchen scale and zero it out. Then re-zero after adding each new ingredient. You’ll have four fewer dishes to wash afterward and won’t have to worry about whether the cup of flour is too airy, too packed, or just right.

Dry MIX Ingredients
  • 550 grams Flour  (4½ cups)
  • 550 grams Cornmeal  (3½ cups)
  • 465 grams Sugar  (2⅓ cups)
  • 50 grams Baking Powder   (¼ cup)
  • 1 T Salt
Mix-Making Directions

Mix the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well mixed, then mix it some more to be sure the baking powder is as evenly dispersed as possible. The cornbread mix will be fluffy from the blending process, so after filling a 2-quart jar, so shake it or roll the jar between your palms as it sits on the countertop. This will settle the mix so all of it will fit into the jar.

Cornbread Cooking Ingredients

I use a white plastic lid on the 2-quart jar and have the recipe written with a fine point Sharpie pen, right on the lid.

  • 1 egg
  • 124 grams Milk   (½ cup)
  • 2 T Oil
  • 208 grams Cornbread Mix   (1¼ cups)

Stir the egg, milk, and oil together until well blended. Add 208 grams of mix and stir just enough until blended. Pour the batter into an ungreased 5″ x 7″ Pyrex dish and microwave for 4 minutes. If using a conventional oven to cook, double the recipe and cook in an 8″ x 8″ pan at 400°F for 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. You may need to adjust the time.

Brew some coffee while waiting and top the cornbread with butter as soon as it comes out of the microwave or oven. Enjoy!

STORAGE

The dry mix portion of this recipe will store for several months is kept ina cool dry place. That can be stretched for additional months, if vacuum-packed in jars, using the canning jar lid attachment for a Foodsaver or similar home vacuum-packing machine.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we further examine suburban and rural relocation. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

An interview with Dave Kranzler: The Economy, Gold, Silver And Mining Stocks

o  o  o

Degussa sees gold price rising to $2,500 by mid-2021 as central banks continue to print money

Economy & Finance:

David Morgan: Quantitative Easing Our Way to Currency Destruction

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Plunging Enrollment Spells Trouble For Public Colleges

o  o  o

Amazon opens online pharmacy, shaking up another industry

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Stimulus Fatigue? Retail Sales Wane at Many Brick & Mortar Stores. Department Stores Progress to Zombiehood. But Online Sales Surge to Record

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — November 22, 2020

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Today is remembered as the birthday of the late Eugene M. Stoner. (Born 1922, died April 24, 1997.) He was the designer of the AR-7, AR-10, AR-15, AR-180, the Stoner 63, and several other firearms. (The AR-10 was the basis of the AR-15 which in turn spawned the very widely used M16 and all of its variants including the M4 Carbine.) It has been estimated that as many as 18 million rifles from the AR-15 family are owned by civilians in the United States, and military production M16 variants worldwide exceeds eight million rifles.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 91 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  5. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 91 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Seed Saving Tips – Part 3, by St. Funogas

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(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.)

Some seeds such as zinnias weigh as much as the chaff so I don’t even try to separate the two. Other seeds are both super tiny and very lightweight, such as chamomile, so these also are not worth trying to separate. In Photo 14, some of the actual seeds are circled in yellow while many more are hidden beneath the chaff. When I plant zinnias, I direct sow by tossing out handfuls and lightly raking them in.

 

 

 

 

PHOTO 14 – Zinnias (Mixed with Chaff)

Photo 15 demonstrates how the seed board works. As mentioned above, different types of cloth are used with coarser piles (B) depending on the type of seed it’s being used for. This works best for round seeds such as radish and turnips, and those with a slick outer coat. These slide easily down the sloped board while the chaff gets caught in the fibers of the pile. For those gardeners without screens, the rubbed seed heads can be swished in a bowl (A) leaving most of the seeds on the bottom and the chaff on top. The chaff is removed from the bowl with the fingertips and discarded while the seeds and remaining smaller chaff are placed near the top of the sloped board (C). The board is then drummed with the fingers and the angle of the board adjusted to a steeper or shallower angle as you see how well the seeds are moving away from the chaff (D).

 

 

 

 

PHOTO 15 – Seed Board

Fortunately, some seeds which require very little work to process before packaging. Four o’clocks (16A & B) have a small papery husk that usually falls off as the seed is being collected or is easily blown away from the heavy seeds before packaging. Sunflowers and many others also require very little work to process. Peanuts (16C) merely need the dirt brushed off, or not, before putting the unshelled seeds into envelopes or small paper bags.

 

 

 

 

PHOTO 16 – Four o’clock Peanuts Sorghum

Continue reading“Seed Saving Tips – Part 3, by St. Funogas”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

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The latest meme created by JWR:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please contact your U.S. senators and congressman, and urge them to stop this unconstitutional “Taking”. If we don’t speak up, we can kiss goodbye all of the four million+ arm braces now in private hands!

 

To share this, you can find it here:

https://kapwi.ng/w/04TmZtNy

 

Meme Text:

Brace Yourselves!

Biden Wants to Ban Them

Pray for Court Intervention — Or at Least a Grandfather Clause