Now this is a case for Freudian analysis. Stand and deliver!
In his book Militarism and Anti-Militarism, Karl Liebknicht made the case for the legalisation of firearms as a democratic demand. If the people are armed then the state has lost its monopoly on the means of force.
I guess the American example shows that the ideological grip of the powers-that-be over the masses means that the literal monopoly of force can be relaxed without jeopardising state power.
All the same, I find it hard to believe that you could argue for a disarming of the populace without reinforcing their dependence upon the state. -- James Heartfield