The real key is that everyone, including agents of the state, need to know they risk death by effing with you. That, I specifically mean, is on the individual level too. If you mess with my specific family or me, you risk death. If that risk is not there, people are not really free. A cartel will crush you without fear. A government will crush you without fear. Any level of criminal can crush you without fear. I will never live in a place like that. No thank you! Predators need to always know they are hunted. They need to know they will be hunted down and killed. The world would be a very ugly place if that were not true. Guns in the hands of good people keep that true. :)