Militia deterrence

The main role of militia, as of firearms, is deterrence. It works best when it never has to be used. But its effectiveness as a deterrent depends on widespread use and support by the public. If they fail to recognize they are all militia, or are supposed to be, freedom dies.

It is highly likely that the United States would have long since fallen into fascism but for so many citizens being so well armed. Sometimes it is what doesn't happen that matters most.

For more on this topic see

Constitutional Defense
19 April 1775 vs. the DC Gun Case, by Edwin Vieira
Armed citizens: the deterrent factor, by Massad Ayoob
Credible Deterrence & the Logistics of Liberty, by Mike Vanderboegh
An Armed Community: The Origins andMeaning of the Right to Bear Arms, by Lawrence Delbert Cress
A Dissenter's Fate in Fascist America, by Kevin Ellul Bonici