Yes, and if my letter was encrypted back in the 60's, I guess they expected the Post Office or UPS to make sure I provided a back door? And no one time pads would have been allowed in postal banking communications (I wouldn't be surprised if something like that was done for some sensitive business transactions).

Much of these arguments assume the government is relatively benign. I'd like to remind people of the example of Hama, Syria in 1982. Bombard the city from long range, when its safe, move in and murder 30,000 or more, and then pave the WHOLE thing over to demonstrate the futility of resisting the regime....

I think the problem is how to prevent a government from even getting anywhere near this stage. This is more a social/psychological problem IMHO. By the time the need for arms to be taken up arises, it could well be too late for any citizen miltia to do very much (unless it were armed with anti-tank missiles, nuclear bombs, etc., but then you have the potent problem of how do you prevent fiefdoms of private power from arising -- see Afghanistan, Somalia, etc.).

All in all, not a simple subject, and one that I don't believe has a simple answer. However, I appreciate the respectful tone, and myself certainly don't believe all 2nd amendment supporters are out in left field.