...people are bad, so we need a government made up of...

I'll give up my means of defense, including firearms, when the governments of the world give up theirs. Goverments own nukes, and they have used them very irresponsibly. They've murdered countless civilians, lost them off ship decks, and used them for blackmail. That's not the answer either.

In early colonial America, individuals owned the most powerful weapons of the time. They owned fleets of warships. Those ships had the power to destroy entire cities while off the coast. Very few people could counter their attack. Individuals still managed to use them responsibly. Governments, not always.

What are governments after all? They are systems put in place for powerful oligarchs to use for their benefit. War is the same. It is just another card to be played. The means of defense ultimately narrows down to the rifle. What?! Yes, the rifle. No one is bullet proof. Sure, you could nuke a people, but everyone near that weapon's detonation location suffers. Using them isn't that easy. Maintaining them is expensive. Using them has severe consequences.

Without guns, predators would use knives. Without knives, they would use rocks. No rocks? How about a vehicle? There's no end to that rabbit hole. Violent sociopaths migrate, naturally, into positions of power. People are bad, so we need a government made up of them? No thanks. Every single individual, by nature or god or whatever, has the natural right to defend their lives with violence as a last resort.

Firearms provide the best means of that defense. I will never be disarmed. No one will be my "protector." As with the Vegas shooting, the agents of the state will take 72 minutes to respond. They will be cowards hiding behind cars. Do I expect them to charge towards the gun fire when one of their mottos is to return safely, no matter what, at the end of each shift? No, thank you. That's unacceptable.

Edit: Thanks for this wonderful conversation tonight. We need to talk about these things. As I always say, "liberty is worth any price." Us Steemians are here to create a better decentralized world where monopolies on force are made obsolete. It's a beautiful thing, and I'm thankful to be a part of it. Thanks to all who participated so far in this thread!