[Don]

A thoughtful and insightful post, Ayatollah.

You make many good points. However, Mexico is different for a number of reasons. (1) They have a history of horrific racial conflict, instability and revolution rather than social cooperation like in the US. (2) They've never had a wide spread gun ownership by the public like in the US; (3) They have no tradition of grass roots democracy like in the US.

I don't think a breakdown of some communities in the US would necessarily result in criminal cartels taking over like in Mexico. But I agree that the civil unrest that would cause a "breakdown" would be a mixed blessing. I hate to see it happen, but the fact is that it is coming and hand wringing won't change it.

I believe in the right to keep and bear arms and that buying a gun under the 2nd Amendment should be no more difficult than buying a newspaper under the 1st Amendment. I have no illusions that the proliferation of firearms in Detroit or East LA would have a different result than in a more traditionally American city. The reality is that the police have increasingly been used to protect criminals from citizens rather than the other way around. During the Rodney King Riots in 1992, I saw live tv coverage of cops standing by their patrol cars with folded arms watching Hispanic and Black looters carrying arm loads of merchandise out of retail stores. They did nothing but protect the looters from the citizens. I used to go to anti-immigration rallies in the 1990's and we endured physical attacks from the Mexican communists while cops stood by and did nothing.

After seeing how law and order has completely failed us, I think a little vigilatism might be what the doctor ordered. I regret my age and declining health would limit my ability to participate fully.