United States attitudes towards guns and governments

At 01:02 AM 12/17/1998 -0800, Brian Burger wrote:

>
>Most of the rest of the world doesn't think this way (thank god) so our
>universal NAC rights have hit a snag...unless all the gun nuts kill
>themselves off in the 2nd ACW...This is without mixing religion into
>things.
>
	I think folks should go back and read the Declaration of
Independence
before commenting on the US's attitudes towards fire arms.  Many forget
that the reason the second ammendment was put in was so that the common
people would be able to fight and throw off their own government.  If
the
Colonies had adopted the attitude now followed in Britain, we would
never
have been able to throw off the English yolk.  The French army forces
were
a significant force in our War of Independence, but then so were the
cannons, rifles and muskets that the individuals and militias brought to
bear.
	In the recent Russian revolution, the pro-democracy forces were
able to
stare down the Army because the troops did not want to fire on their own
people.  There were enough of their own people in the streets because
they
were armed enough to make a stand.
	The point is that many Americans take the right to bear arms
very
seriously, and a number are willing to violate the law to maintain that
ability.  There are a number of nut cases willing to kill innocent
people
to keep their weapons.	The NAC would have to adjust to this American
attitude by either winking at the Americans when they ban weapons, or to
leave that issue alone.

Gort, Klaatu barada nikto!