We are not powerless against the government. Should it ever get bad enough for the American people to rise up against the government then the American people would band together and rise up. If it ever got that bad then even some military and police would rise up with us. Don't forget what the French partisans did against the Nazis' during WWII, history is full of instances of ordinary people banding together to stand against their oppressors. If we don't have guns then we will use knives to get guns, it's just easier to start out with guns.