Double standard and hypocrisy exist for most of us on this question.
Prior to Ruby Ridge,the most infamous assassination was of my neighbor Fred Hampton of the Black Panthers. He wasn’t the only one, just the one who got the headlines. The 31st ward Republican committeeman Gross and his expected successor Barretto were both murdered on orders from the #2 power in Chicago’s political machine. Then there were the 2 guys who left my house about 4:30 pm and were shot in the back with no warning by Chicago police 2 blocks from my house in full daylight with dozens of people on the hot afternoon watching the whole thing and unable to do anything about it.
Are local police abuses in the inner city justification for self-defense against the police? I just mention those politically ordered that touch me directly. There were dozens, maybe hundreds throughout Chicago during the same period.
Of course it applies in big cities as well. Many here on freerpublic have pushed for removing Chicago’s ban on self defense firearms. Many here applaud Detroit’s Chief Craig.
The large change now is that the word can and is getting out. Police abuses are much harder to cover up.
If police murder a citizen in front of dozens today, there will be video of it.
Video and audio recorders are as much freedom fighting tools as are handguns and rifles.