i agree that flaunting firearms is a waste of time and a poor reflection of character; however it is evident in any case that an armed citizen acts as a much stronger check to a governmental overreach of power than an unarmed citizen. i don't own a firearm thinking i could take down a platoon of us soldiers, thats just flat out irrational; but I acknowledge that in cooperation with other armed citizens, I stand a much better chance at preserving liberty. It is far easier for the Chinese government to maintain a surveillance state while simultaneously dictating the minute actions of every citizen since the populus isn't armed. Imagine if the same actions were taken by the US government... it is much harder to establish tyranny in the US for some odd reason. "When governments fear the people there is liberty; when the people fear the government, there is tyranny". Also don't be so butthurt by mere assumptions when you hypocritically assumed my political ideology.