chasfm11 wrote:lkd wrote:I'm not quite sure I'd buy into your 60% number. I'd honestly say you could expect something like 2% tops. It's one thing to shoot clay pigeons, paper targets, and steel plate. It's quite another to point it at somebody and be willing to stop them from doing something that it not directly related to defending your, or somebody else's, life. More specifically engaging in an act that is almost certain to destroy your life and possibly the well being of your family. More accurately, those 2% would have to create an effective and organized resistance using means that are not easily detected.
Far more difficult than you might imagine.
If you are a history buff, you might want to read the story of Kings Mountain. It was a battle in the Revolutionary War with the "Back Mountain Men" - a dis-organized group of squirrel hunters who took exception to the Britsh commander telling them that he was going to come and burn their houses down. The BMM,without any real leadership or training, attacked a well fortified British position and beat them with very limited loss of life to the attackers.
I do realize that with today's modern warfare, it would be hard for a small bunch of civilians to take on a combat trained army. Wait, wasn't that what happened in Iraq? My guess is that the use of the US military against US civilians would up the anty above the 2% range among the civilians. That's just a guess.
King's Mountain could hardly have been described as "well fortified" nor could a militia group led by five different colonels, including Sevier, Shelby, and Campbell, be described as lacking "real leadership". It is true, though, that as the battle progressed, each of the several militia groups did act independently of each of the others, which inadvertently contributed to Ferguson's defeat.
Furgeson, occupying the top of the mountain, had the position of advantage, but did not fortify because he had absolutely no idea he was surrounded, while the "Overmountain Men" were forced to charge uphill, not the most tactically sound manner of defeating the opposition. Furgeson's major error was in ordering bayonette charges down the hills at the mountain men, who, having learned about such things fighting against the Cherokee, merely ran away and took cover, and formed up to charge again.
The "disorganization" of the independent groups also led to a tactical advantage, as each group attacked and retreated on its own without coordination except for the original plan to surround the mountain. Of course most of Ferguson's troops were militia themselves and acquainted with the combat methods that the "disorganized" militia they were up against used, but they had a British central commander who insisted on doing it his way.
Similar examples abound, but should not be counted on to save our bacon if some idiot like that gets such an unconstitutional law passed.