JWarren,
Excellent response. I agree with each and every one. Particularly #7. It is this answer that intrigues me. On the prior thread I referenced in my original post many seemed to scoff at the possibility that hiding one's guns may someday be necessary.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Armed citizens are the last bulwark against an overreaching government. In the Congo, Sudan and other nations today we see unarmed innocents being slaughtered by those who have weapons.
I suppose that some here consider the possibility that we might need to defend ourselves against the government as ludicrous. That we are too civilized. Our society too stable. That an armed citizenry is a huge contributor to that stability is often ignored. Equally often ignored is the fact that stability and civilization could quite easily be disrupted.
The course of human history has been one of barbarism, cruelty and instability. Our current condition is, in the context of history, an anomaly. I don't think it is too much of a stretch, particularly in these challenging times, to remain vigilant.
If the time comes that it becomes necessary to hide our guns we will be in a heap of trouble.