[Boonie Rat]

"Now, given the change in technology, the chance that even if we all had our Second Amendment rights to keep arms that we could actually resist the 101st Airborne has become much more problematic,"

WRONG.

The "standing army", meaning ALL of the military, would have NO chance against an armed, hostile, determined citizenry. With all of the present military technology available to it the military would fall like a rock.

"WHAT GOOD CAN A HANDGUN DO AGAINST AN ARMY.....?"

Boonie Rat

MACV SOCOM, PhuBai/Hue '65-'66

[Shooter 2.5]

That's what I would like to believe. However, I don't think it would go so smoothly.

I would guess half the NRA members might defend the constitution in this way and all of the JPFO and SAF members would. The rest of the gunowners in this country couldn't pry themselves from the TV.

The real issue is if the volunteers in the services would attack civilians. I think it would happen only if they were fired upon and then they would do everything in their power to eliminate the threat.

The only thing that would save the country is if the gunowners would understand the real enemy isn't the military or the police. It's the people who sent them.

Thank God we're still in the Ballot Box and Soap Box stage. I still have hopes we can confirm more conservative judges on the Supreme Court and get a ruling after that.

[ZULU]

I agree witht you.

Despite all the modern technology available, short of a nuclear bomb, the ultimate weapon is still the grunt on the ground with a rifle, and, as demonstrated in Viet Nam, with the Russians in Afghanistan, and in other places, a determined militia, armed with hand weapons, can make conquest extremely difficult if not impossible.

One of our best allies in the coming Iraqi conflict will be the unwillingness of the mass of Iraqi soldiery to sacrifice their lives for a mad dictator. Give them a cause to fight for and the weapons to use, and they could proove themselves as dangerous a foe as any soldier that ever lived.

No people are cowards (except possibly the French). But any people needs a good, just cause to fight for, and the weapons to do it with, and they will be unconquerable.

[Travis McGee]

Even the most awesome standing Army can't live in their tanks and bunkers 24/7.

[Ramius]

That, and considering that about half of the 101 would be on one side, and half on the other... :-)

[dljordan]

Excellent! I once got into a flame war with a policeman about whether the police could control a community during a rebellion. He was insistent that he and his "brothers" could defeat anyone who came against them. I tried to tell him that the draconian methods they would have to employ would be counter-productive but he blew me off. I guess that's good in a way because it shows an institutional over-confidence that would prove deadly. I tried to point out that police are not used to opposition and are surprised when it happens. I don't think I got through to him.