The turning point for me, as regards my view of private ownership of firearms, came during my tour of Vietnam in 1965 and 1966. I saw firsthand the unarmed,except for edged farming tools,peasants trying to survive the predations of their own government during the day and the VC at night. they were powerless against both and paid the price,both with their lives and their property as both sides stole what they wanted without any compensation,except promises of security, given.
I remember we used to say that they should just arm the peasants and let them decide their own fate. I'm sure that an armed peasant village would have given pause to both bands of predators that ravaged the countryside.I believe,at the very least,it would have given them a fighting chance where there was none.
You can talk about artillery,tanks and air warfare all you want but when preserving the infrastructure and civilian populace is part of the plan, it is the rifle that is the weapon that decides the outcome.
