I will eventually weave all this into a Herdwatching post… but here is a quick peek at my comments in a discussion on FriendFeed.
“Obviously I hope I never >need< a gun, but I absolutely demand the right to own one. It is not for the government to disarm me and render me helpless and entirely dependent on the largess of the government to keep me safe. My life is mine to have, to make the most of and ultimately to defend. I have no intention of having to hope that someone else comes to save me from the violent, psychotic fringe that will always be with us. I own a weapon to protect myself from criminals and, if need be, my government.
In demanding the right to keep and bear arms the US citizen is demanding that our government treat us as self determining humans with the power, ultimately, to make independent decisions on the use of deadly force. We demand to take unto ourselves the final responsibility for our own well being. For me, a populace that has allowed their government to render them helpless and defenseless on a personal level has allowed themselves to become wards of a state that has become their surrogate parent.” – Soulhuntre in a discussion on Friendfeed
There ya go, in a nutshell.