I've had guns pointed at me, had occasion to use a shotgun to protect my home from an intruder, and yes i carry a handgun. I also hunt, shoot skeet on a regular basis (at least twice a week), and also practice at least monthly with the gun I carry. I am a member of the local gun club, and my children (aged 9 and 11) are also members of the same club
http://www.jcsa-shootingsports.org/ . I understand that firearms are not as prevalent in your country as they are in mine, however I also understand that the society you live in is vastly different from the one that I live in. I don't know if people are necessarily more cautious, but I think it's likely. understand that in our society it's not the people like me you have to worry about (truth be told, you would never even know I had a gun on me unless I either told you, or I had reason to believe that my life, or my childrens lives, were in immediate danger.) I went through a nationwide background check which included fingerprints being ran through a national database to insure that I was not a criminal, checking personal references etc. in order to legally carry a handgun, and I go through a background check each and every time I purchase a gun. I don't agree with car crashes, but disagreeing with them doesn't prevent them, so I wear a seatbelt and carry insurance on my vehicle. I don't agree with violence either, however I live in the real world, where violence does occur, so i choose to protect myself and my family.