imported post
CV67PAT wrote:
How many people own guns?
It's been awhile since I've investigated the numbers, but if memory serves, I think it's in the ballpark of 80 million people (in America, at least). These, to my knowledge, are just the REGISTERED owners. Most long guns are not registered; nevermind the number of unregistered firearms that fall outside the realm of long arms.
And of those 80 million people, most of them own more than one firearm. I believe the average is around 4 each. So figure you've got about 200 million registered firearms... but probably something closer to 320 million total firearms floating around in America. Figure there are just over 300 million Americans, and you'll see that there are enough firearms for every man, woman, and child in this country. Although more conservative estimates put this figure at 9 firearms for every 10 people. We are the most well armed nation in the world... I believe India and China are distance followers with something like 2 or 3 firearms per 10 people.
We, the People, may not have tanks, smart bombs, choppers, armored personnel carriers, etc, etc. But neither do insurgents in Iraq of Afghanistan, and yet some of the best equipped militaries in the world cannot unseat them. At the same time, those people overseas have a lot more resolve than many folks here at home. Their willing to fight harder and go to greater lengths for their beliefs than most Americans.
However, IF this sort of situation were to ever unfold in America, I don't think it's far fetched to believe that a good number of Americans would dig deep and find that resolve to defend what they believe is right. Of the 80 million registered firearm owners in America, figure that even if 80% of them roll over and give up; there would still be 16 million gun owners equipped with approximately 64 million firearms. Figure, marginally, that they hand off one of their 4 firearms to just one interested party who, before the proverbial shit hit the fan, had no desire to carry a weapon... now you've got 32 million Americans carrying about 64 million firearms.
Figure there are approximately 800,000 total law enforcement personnel in America (total, across all agencies, including federal State, county, and local) and a total military force of about 1.5 million troops. That's about 2.3 million professionally trained and armed people. Figure that even if only 20% of them abandon their post in the event they are ordered to turn on the people, and that number shrinks to 1.84 million. Even if only 50% of that 20% who refuse to follow illegal orders take up arms with the 20% of armed citizens, you've just added another 230,000 professionally armed and trained people to the resistance.
I don't know the number of UN troops in the world, but figure that the US is second in troop strength only to China (with about 2.5 million)... with India coming in a close second with about 1.1 million. Even if you combine the total fighting force of China and India, in conjunction with what's left of the American troops who choose to obey illegal orders... and you stand to face a force of about 5.5 million soldiers.
5.5 million solders against 32 million Americans, conservatively. Remember US/Viet Nam conflict, Russian/Afghan war, US/Afghan conflict, US/Iraq conflict, etc, etc... you'll realize that even well-oiled war machines cannot unseat armed civilians with an agenda to remain sovereign.
It is my belief that we, the gun owners of America, are the primary reason why America has remained as free as she has for the last 230 years. We are the reason that foreign nations haven't come knocking on our doors demanding payment for our debts. Whether you know it or not... whether you believe it or not... whether you'd ever take up arms to defend your country or not... as a gun owner, you are the reason for the security of the American people. It's not the military, although they get much of the glory for having done most of the fighting. It is not the fight that we bring that keeps us safe... but the fight we CAN bring if we are pushed to that limit.
There isn't enough manpower in the WORLD to disarm American citizens. Not unless we all, collectively, roll over and hand our weapons over. If the time ever comes where weapon ownership is declared illegal (God forbid), there will be those who give in, and there will be those who refuse. There will also be those in the middle who give up their registered arms, but keep those that may be unregistered "just in case". But we will NEVER be fully disarmed. And I truly believe that any attempt to do so would be a declaration of war upon the American people.
UN on American soil? That much I believe can happen someday. But I also believe that the collective nations sending UN troops here will soon call them back once they realize they've bitten off a little more than they can chew. Call it a second Revolution if you want. Call it Civil War II. Call it World War III. But when it's all said and done, the collective People will not lose. Not unless we're nuked off the face of the planet. In which case, even the snob-asses in Washington would fight to prevent THAT from happening.
Long story short: Relax, folks. Things will happen as they should. And while not everyone will make it through if things DO come to this, overall we will win. I have to believe in my heart of hearts that anyone who would seek to ignite such a war has already thought these things through... so hopefully it never happens. But then again, we're talking about the same sort of people who keep trying it over and over again in foreign nations.
