Guns, Press and Condi Rice

Found this, and it says beeter than my posting about the 2nd Amendment what I was trying to say. One of the problems that we have with our modern society is the specialization in all aspects of our lives. For instance, I have a rebuilt 68 Mustang that I enjoy tooling around to the Dairy Queen every so often. It is not that sophisticated, and I can change the plugs, set the points, tinker with the carb, etc. However, I also have a 2001 Passat, where the engine compartment is essentially sealed, and I know that if I did go into it, I would probably make a huge mess, and so rely on the expertise of my local mechanic to do what I cannot.
The point I am trying to make here, is that we are allowing the police to become just as specialized. How many times do you see the officers waiving everyone around some activity, telling everyone to "Move on folks, nothing to see here." In the old days, when police forces were first created, the policeman was the leader of an ad hoc posse of ordinary citizens who were to obey the officers directions, and they became themselves witnesses to the crime. Since most of the citizens were armed, there was no problem in confronting a perpetrator.
Now, we have unilaterally disarmed and allowed the police acting in our behalf to assume full responsibility for law enforcement.
By keeping everyone armed, it actually creates a new and interesting condition: The armed citizen, as adjunct to the enforcement of the laws. It also serves an additional purpose of enforcign civility. Never pick a fight with a guy with a gun is a good motto.
I miss civility, even if it was only enforced with a gun.
But it also means that we have the potential to protect our Constitutional rights when the police are unable or (as in the Deep South in Secretary Rice's childhood) unwilling to protect the citizenry.
We as citizens need to learn to do more for ourselves, and not turn all of our lives over to the specialists in the government.