This. They were politically or philosophically unwilling to push back against these measures. They were spineless and didn't use the tools of voting, discourse,

This. They were politically or philosophically unwilling to push back against these measures. They were spineless and didn't use the tools of voting, discourse, or protest that are how change is brought in modern society. Instead, they accepted these measures as necessary myopically without thinking about how they could be abused. They were far too trusting and completely disarmed of healthy skepticism. So, I agree. Disarmed. Guns (which I assume you were talking about) would not have changed anything in a mentally-permissive environment in which these laws were not protested. You need a spine first, and a tool second, and a gun last.