In response to Duane Smith (“Gutting the Second Amendment will leave the citizenry defenseless against tyranny,” April 21):

I understand your argument that Americans need guns to protect ourselves from our own military in the event of a government takeover. I used to believe this myself. However, the point is moot when we look at our modern military.

A houseful of AR-15s may allow you to mow down foot soldiers marching in formation. They will not be useful when the helicopters come or a missile/bomb from 100 miles away hits the street in front of your house.

A much scarier threat is that one branch of our government has abdicated its responsibility to check another branch. The balances written into the Constitution are not working, allowing a single man to set himself up in a totalitarian fashion.

The threat of his executive orders; talk of jailing government officials, political enemies and journalists; and commingling his business interests with foreign and domestic governmental affairs are far more immediate and frightening than tanks rolling down State Street.

Jai Green, Millcreek