For those who strain to understand why anyone needs an arsenal of Uzis in his garage, here’s the standard argument: What restrains the American government from imposing all-out tyranny isn’t the rule of law, but a small contingent of gun hoarders.
You know who: the tin-can-shooting survivalists, armed with a stockpile of weaponry, a backpack full of food, a rabid fear of the United Nations and the utmost conviction that President Obama is secretly a communist. The Antichrist. Or both.
When these people hear “balance of power,” they’re not thinking the three co-equal branches of our federal government. No, what they’re thinking is the “jackbooted government thugs” vs. “my stash of rifles.” Because that’s what makes the United States government pause and reconsider its evil plans — right?
Never mind the independent judiciary, due process of law, democratic elections or founding principles such as the separation of church and state. As far as these guys are concerned, all that stands between civil society and total apocalypse is the Second Amendment. And by necessity, that includes everybody and their neighbor’s right to own rapid-fire, military-style rifles with body-armor piercing bullets. Assault weapons ban be damned.
But wait: If you’re truly locked in an arms race with the federal government, why stop there? Think about it: If you actually believe that the U.S. military would go along with a totalitarian scheme to gut American freedoms, hatched by some Grand Poobah in the White House, what good will your Bushmaster do against a professional fleet of shoulder-fired grenade launchers?
You’re going to need a bazooka, too. And if those “government thugs” that National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre warned us about, who “harass, intimidate, even murder law-abiding citizens,” decide to drive their armored battle tanks past the perimeter of your driveway, mortar rounds won’t do much. You’ve got to get yourself a military fighter jet. Or maybe a few missile-launching drones.
When civilization crumbles, you’ll be fighting your neighbors, too. So if the guy next door tramples your daffodils with his own personal armored tank and all you’ve got is a couple of Uzis, what does that make you?
Just another angry gunslinger planning an armed revolt against his own government, with a garage full of assault weapons and mags that nobody had better confiscate.
Does that sound like a “patriot” or a terrorist to you?
