Bullshit.

The biggest difference is that the media machine was not yet fully in place to sway public opinion.

If this were to happen today, MSNBC would immediately begin running pieces and statistics about gun violence to sway the left against the citizens and Fox News would immediately pick out the one guy of the bunch who was an Athiest/Muslim/homosexual/or any other politically charged demographic and begin promptly calling him the "ring leader" and spinning it into some vast conspiracy against Christians.

Public opinion would unite against the "rebels" until the crisis was neutralized...and then the MSNBC and Fox News punditry would IMMEDIATELY begin "debating" the "reasons" this horrible act of citizenry demanding fairness in government occurred.

After much to do, the left would blame it upon global warming and the right would blame it on gods punishment for the legalization of marijuana....this effectively turning into a culture war between neighbors who ACTUALLY have completely shared interests in having a corruption-free government.

...and the general populace would eat that shit up and ask for more.