And let’s try to forget the very next day Texas police stopped another student approaching his school with both an AK-47 and AR-15 variant rifles. Because, you know, a fetus that has not developed to the point of their first thought and never will is much more tragic than a bunch of stupid kids and their teachers dying. At the hands of a teenager. Who bought an arsenal with less trouble than many have to go through to cast a vote.
Your first line of defense against tyranny was the free press and active fact-checking. You were happy to make it “the enemy of the people” for your fascist wannabe.
Your second line of defense was the checks and balances of government. Similarly you saw no reason to consider the branches of government actually equal, or that they should deign to comply with investigations. Well, not any investigations that aren’t of your tyrant’s political opponents. Then you’ll invite foreign interference to compromise national security as long as you can get your hands on dirt. And if your enemies aren’t obliging, you’ll extort the appearance of an investigation to imply there’s dirt to dig up out of an ally you’ll betray in an instant.
Your third line of defense was the impeachment process. Not an issue to be had letting the White House dictate the terms and Senators openly state they have no intention of being impartial. Hell the whole thing was just an extended campaign aid where everyone in attendance was insulted to sloppy musical edits.
Your “last line of defense against tyranny” is more commonly used to enforce the tyrant’s will without them getting their own hands dirty. They just rile you up and point you in a direction, like on Jan 6 where every single democratically elected official from both parties was nearly murdered on a big fat lie and the instigator skipped off home to watch TV and taunt the people trapped within. Followed by dictating the terms of his impeachment a second time because his party is full of cowards and his own co-conspirators who fear his impotent powerless ass more than they fear their voters.
And when you’re not actively aiding in the death of your democracy you’re killing your neighbours because you don’t think they look like they belong living on the same block as you. Because their dog barks. Because they reminded you your own dog should be on a leash. Because they cut you off in traffic. Because any and all sense you were required to have before you got your lethal toys was an impediment to being allowed to have it and you’ll fly off the second your feelings are hurt or your authority challenged and the only thought in your stupid head is getting that great big symbol of your manly power out to remind everyone this makes you more powerful than them and they should show you respect.