Will America revolt over gun confiscation?

For decades we've been hearing the rhetoric from Second Amendment defenders: "You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers."

Indeed, it did once seem far-fetched that the kind of gun restrictions we saw in the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany and Red China could ever come to the United States – with its constitutional protections, its broad private ownership of hundreds of millions of firearms and its unique 230-plus years of history of liberty.

But then they came for the guns in the United Kingdom. And Brits gave them up. Then they came for the guns in Australia. And the Aussies gave them up.

The excuses were always the same. Gun confiscation always comes in the name of safety and security. But it brings only death and tyranny.

I always thought America would forcefully resist the constant cries from those who want to see government maintain a monopoly on force.

I am beginning to have my doubts.

WND published a disturbing poll last week on this subject. The results surprised me, shocked me, disappointed me.

It showed that "the seeds of a tyrannical government are present in the United States, with a citizenry happy with a heavily armed law enforcement presence and a disbelief that their government could do anything that would make them want to revolt."

Wow!

"America is largely satisfied with the buildup of military-style equipment and armaments by local law enforcement agencies around the country, as 73 percent said they believe these local and state police agencies should possess such equipment," wrote Fritz Wenzel of Wenzel Strategies, a public-opinion research and media consulting company, which partners with WND on monthly scientific polling.

It was released the day after Barack Obama announced 23 new executive orders designed to roll back firearms freedom in the U.S. and ensure that government would become totally unaccountable to the people, making self-government a thing of the past.

The poll found only 21 percent disagreed that their local officers should be heavily armed.

"This is perhaps because, the survey shows, a wide majority of Americans doubt their local or state police would ever engage in the imposition of some sort of martial law. Such imposition would severely restrict personal freedoms, but 59 percent said they just don't think such a thing would happen here in America," he continued.

"That is largely because 51 percent said they cannot conceive of any circumstances or actions by government that would so cause them to agree it is time for a citizen revolution against the government. Just 18 percent said they could conceive of something the government could do to cause them to want to revolt.

"This is a testament to the longstanding stability that the country has known, but also spells a risk of tyranny. If government leaders know the citizenry is unwilling to revolt and they know their law enforcement agencies are well-equipped to put down any uprising with military-style weaponry, one could argue that those leaders might be tempted to impose tyranny on the country in some form or another," he said.

The poll revealed widespread belief that the Second Amendment, which gives Americans the right, "which shall not be infringed," to hold and bear arms, really is for self-protection and hunting, not for "fighting back against a tyrannical government."

That, he said, "demonstrates the downside of more than 230 years of government stability. This survey shows it is hard for many Americans to think of a situation in which their government would need to be overthrown. Of course, the last time there was a serious fight for the future of the federal government, in the Civil War, Washington won."

Nearly 47 percent said the Second Amendment is for hunting and self-protection, while only 8 percent believe it provides a defense for citizens against a tyranny. Four in 10 say it serves both purposes.

On the positive side, Wenzel noted that a significant majority, 69 percent, said the amendment should be kept, while 22 percent said it should be ignored or repealed.

"This is a very strong message to lawmakers and leaders in Washington should tread very carefully as they draft new legislation in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings," Wenzel said.

And while 48 percent said gun bans are a bad idea, a hefty 39 percent support such bans.

Wenzel said a cause for alarm is that four in 10 said "they favor banning ammo or taxing it so heavily that it becomes impractical to buy it." Nearly six in 10 Democrats thought this was a good idea, he noted.

The registration of all firearms with the federal government was supported by 55 percent, while only 38 percent opposed it, he said.

This does not bode well for an organized – or even disorganized – revolt if push comes to shove, and the push has indeed begun.