[Yellowfin]

Here's the problem, TG, with the state government being in charge of loaning you the heavy firepower when you need it: What happens if the enemy you need to defend yourself from is them? As you stated earlier, self defense is anything from a burgler all the way up to the Soviet Army. The problem is what if your country's own army is acting like the Soviet Army? You and I both know that's happened almost everywhere else but here, and even here a few times. Got any Native American in your genes? If so, somewhere in your family's past there was genocide that very well could have involved them needing to defend themselves against it. Exactly what kept Japanese American internment from being a massive slaughter, if it could have been justified and/or covered up? Virtually nothing, as far as anything they could have done about it, unless they were to take armed resistance. (Did any do so?)

I don't think we should forget the Colfax massacre, either, or the numerous coal miners' revolts. Yes, folks, our own state, local, and federal governments can and have been at times very, very bad people.