Correct. Only the Progs insist just "government" is responsible for our defense. But "We The People" are the government. If those we hire/elect won't or can't do it somebody must step in to stop the inevitable chaos, gangsterism, and anarchy.
That doesn't mean lynch mobs. The "Committees of Vigilance" of yesteryear not only rounded up miscreants but gave them fair trials using whatever official courts or procedures were mostly already in place.
What we’re trying to prevent is the vigilantism.