marion: “Guns in the hands of law enforcement have prevented despotism”. Really? Let me give you one example to refer back to that will sink that statement.
Herbert Hoover was head of the FBI from 1924 to 1972. Yep, true story. Forty eight years. He had files on virtually everyone in power in both politics and business, and ran the FBI as a virtual fiefdom. Do some research on a program the FBI ran called COINTELPRO, and then follow that with reading up on Hoover’s vendetta against The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am not some conspiracy nut, nor am I some anti-government crackpot. I served my country faithfully, and feel that the US is the best thing going, both as a country and a concept. However, I don’t trust my government as far as I can throw a truck, especially after spending 3 years in Central America during the mid- to late-1980s with the US Army.
So, all other things being equal, I am going to keep my hands on my guns, which will protect my rights. As I stated before, you are more than welcome to put your faith in the police. You might want to run some film from South Central LA during the riots following the Rodney King verdict, though. Remember the video of the LAPD milling around, without a clue as to what to do next? I do.
