So, why are guns necessary?

[Lemur]

Most regulations in the 18th century were not merely rules and punishments for soldiers, but also standards of minimal armament and food/supplies.

Yes, and the rules defining these minimums were called ... regulations. Sorry, man, but calling your re-definition a "stretch" is an insult to elastic.

I am reluctant to accept any amount of poison from the enemy.

If you define reasonable people who have slightly different takes on governance your "enemy," then ... what will you call people who actually want to harm you? Exaggeration, overstatement, and a tendency to the melodramatic ... this leaves you rather boxed-in.

Also, I think we're all clear that you are using a Nexus 7 with Tapatalk 4. You might want to look at a way to turn that notification off.