Totally agree that such is the basis for the 2nd amendment.rotor wrote: The right to keep and bear arms means that the government can not do what the British did to our colonial population or what the Nazis did to the Jews in more recent times. The 2nd amendment is to protect you from government, not just the bad guy that breaks into your home. I think in this respect our country is unique. With Obama we are already seeing oppression. When you take your first breath you either buy Obamacare or pay a tax. No freedom of choice. To be alive means you are taxed or must buy a government decided insurance. Didn't see that in The Constitution.
I definitely don't trust the government, but I feel that it'd be naive of me to think that any amount of civilian firepower would have the capacity to stop a modern government. The Branch Davidians were reasonably well armed and they were only fighting non-military law enforcement. They lost.
Back in the colonial days, a government couldn't launch a drone strike from the other side of the world. The playing field was somewhat level and a well-armed militia could defeat a British force from across the sea. That's simply not true anymore.
There is simply no way that our forefathers could see 200+ years into the future. I'm glad we have 2nd amendment rights, but I really don't think it stops the trolls in congress. Besides, they generally want my money.. Killing the population isn't in their self-interest.
I have seen hesitation on the part of law enforcement to shut down civilians that were operating outside the law, but I think that's more about media coverage the bad press and resulting lawsuits than it is about being unable to find an APC to drive in and shoot people up.