Yep, it's that old mythology again, this time voiced by Joni Ernst, candidate for the U.S. senate, reported recently but but said back in 2012 to an NRA gang:
"I have a beautiful little Smith & Wesson, 9 millimeter, and it goes with me virtually everywhere,” Ernst said at the NRA and Iowa Firearms Coalition Second Amendment Rally in Searsboro, Iowa. “But I do believe in the right to carry, and I believe in the right to defend myself and my family -- whether it’s from an intruder, or whether it’s from the government, should they decide that my rights are no longer important.”
This type of thinking is wrong, but not just for the obvious reason, that is, that a dictatorship armed with the power of the U.S. government, or even one of its states or larger cities, cannot be resisted with a single handgun.
What troubles me about this is that we DO face threats to liberty, I'd say the biggest are:
1. Militarization of police;
2. Endless "war on drugs" to "justify" militarized police;
3. Limitless (in practice) electronic surveillance of the population;
4. Needless self-terrorization (ISIS, ebola, border-crossing children, etc.).
The handgun is no defense against those threats to liberty.
The only thing that can stop these is intelligent, informed engagement of the people in their government, through voting of course, but also other means.
Of course the Republican party has done everything it can to attack the ability of the people to participate in their government by voting. But this is not to excuse the Democratic party, as the construction of the "security state" has proceeded on a largely bi-partisan basis.
Instead, people like Joni Ernst and the NRA would have us believe that somehow a gun will protect us from tyranny. But should we fail address the real threats to liberty, possession of a handgun, or guns, will no more save us than will a lucky rabbit's foot.