DELUSIONAL?

I read a letter to the editor the other day that claimed all eighty five million gun owners in this country could give the Federal government a run for its money if it ever turned on its own citizens.

No they couldn't. Even if all eighty five million gun owners fought back, it'd be a short skirmish. Why? Because years ago, during the Cold War, the American taxpayers pulled out their wallets and threw trillions of dollars into the murky military bureaucracy in order to ensure that the United States had the strongest and most advanced armed force on the planet. We wanted our guys to be able to fight invaders from outer space if needed to. If you don't believe that, poke your nose into Area 51 sometime or look up defense department documents relating to military procedure if and when we encounter visitors from another world.

Even after the end of the Cold War, when you'd think we could hack some of the fat off the military budget, we didn't. The citizens of the United States, deep within their hearts, don't want anything interrupting their smooth cruise through the land of the free and the home of the brave. Americans want peace at any cost, even if they're the ones paying for it.

I find it mind blowing that some Americans think they'd stand a chance against the world's most powerful military. Who would organize all eighty five million gun owners? What good is an assault rifle against an F-16? Lots of F-16's. More than you can imagine.

The Second Amendment doesn't give you or your neighbors the right to own or operate an aircraft carrier or a nuclear submarine, any revolt by the American people, two thirds of whom are overweight and out of shape, would be over in about a day and a half.

While it's fun to imagine gallant American patriots, banding together, fighting back against a tyrannical federal government, it's also severely delusional to believe the American people could take back their country by waving their hand guns and assault style rifles at a fully equipped Abrams M1 Main Battle Tank.

I believe we all have the right to own firearms. We are the militia the Second Amendment refers to. We, the people. Unfortunately, we also made sure we have a military that can take down any aggressor. Even if that aggressor is us.