Not a defence.
"And Bill O's and Brandioch's defense would - under circumstances - defend McVeigh (who saw the federal government, said that it was dangerous to his/our rights, and took action)."
If you knowingly break the law, you go to jail.
What I'm saying is not a defence of any kind. Until the laws are changed, you are breaking them. Knowingly and with forethought.
Think about China, again. Is the fact that some people want democracy a "defense" of their actions?
Not in that country.
Nor in our's.
When the laws are changed, then the people who took the risks are recognized for their works. Until then, they are just breaking the law.
No one is saying that people should not be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
