[Alchemy]

Originally posted by PlawsWorth
He explained that no thief would be so foolish to steal a sheriffs weapon when there is a firearm in every glove compartment (wrongly spelled) in every car.

This is more an example of police incompetence than any sort of collective US opinion on gun ownership. I think everyone knows if you leave a gun somewhere visible it will probably be stolen.

If i'm not mistaken you have the right to wear firearms and concealed if you have license?

That's a state's jurisdiction. In most states, you can carry a concealed weapon with a permit. There are usually places you cannot carry these, such as hospitals, malls, and other very public areas, even with a permit. There are some states that only issue permits to people with a stated need for a gun, such as bail bondsmen or bodyguards. There are some states you can keep a gun in your glovebox and others where you cannot. I have heard of some cities that outlaw concealed weapons entirely and others that outlaw all handguns.

Some people have been trying to get around the "concealed weapon" law by using holsters that skirt the legal definition of holser and having the gun unloaded and magazine located in a way that it may be easily loaded and ready to fire. I'm not sure what the courts have said on that, and last I heard about such events was about a year ago.

So far as I know, guns are legal to own and keep in one's home in every state in the US, subject to some restrictions.

Also, if you are to revolt against an "bad/evil" goverment that has gone mad. . . .

I think that was the original intent, and seemed like a good idea in the 1780s. But America is already disarmed. Look at our military, for God's sake. If Bush suddenly declared himself dictator and the Army went with him, the 50 million handguns in this country wouldn't make a damn difference. If people honestly wanted the American populace to be armed to the point where they could revolt if necessary, they'd be lobbying for the right to bear tanks, RPGs, bombers, thermonuclear warheads, etc. Actually, I'll bet people are serious about that.

It's a good idea in theory to have the public armed to prevent fascism. But not in practice. Since we've not had an overthrow* in this country since King George tried to make us pay more taxes than we cared for, it's difficult for most of us to contemplate what it takes to actually overthrow a government.

Alchemy

*The Civil War was a secession, or more accurately a group of states fighting against the Federal government - one government against another. The Ruby Ridge incident and similar ones were something less than overthrows.