[Figment]

A militia does not represent the majority. Where do you get that idea from? Resistance and revolutionary groups tend to have their own militias, like Hitler's SA, or most Afghan warlords, they are simply an organised armed group of civilians with their own agenda and interests over that of others. They do not represent the entire populace, like a standing army in a normal democracy would. And I say normal democracy on purpose here. The problem is that you lot fear democracy will fail in your country, but then you don't HAVE a democracy in the USA, but a largest minority rule. You set yourself up for a two-party system, neither of which represents your interests exactly. They are too big to force coalitions and too big to feel the need to compromise as they prefer to have monopoly on rulings each and that's setting your country up for indefinite stalemates and potential dictatorships if there ever was a permanent sway to one side.

Militias are usualy lead by local warlords. That includes the ones during your civilwar, which were usualy lead by local plantation owners, whether or not with military training. They tend to be very undisiciplined.

(Btw, with the book burning thing, I meant going into schools and burning the books they don't want their state's children to learn from, even though it would be the official state policy and a majority in the State would be in favour.)

Tbh if they'd grow big enough and lead by Tea Party types, I'd see them grow bold enough to start telling other people how to live. They think a democrat shouldn't run their State - and for some reason, like with the presidential elections - think the elections brought horrible things - what stops them from trying to seize power? Their supposed oath to protect the USA? These type of people often have the "if you disagree you are not a patriot" line of thinking. They are paranoid, distrusting and incapable of reason.

And plenty of them are in militias.