Originally Posted by The_Jazz

The operative term here is "remote". You can't remove that possibility, but by your own admission, I'm more likely to be hit by a car than shot. I will teach my kids to be careful crossing the street and not to antagonize violent people. I have lot more experience in that area than you might think, and I've never been shot at once. I think that you've been brainwashed to expect armed muggers and rapists are lurking around every corner. A gun in the home in more likely to be kill someone accidentially or as a suicide than it is to kill someone purposfully (either as a murder or in self defense). See the 2002 CDC study. It runs about 40% murder/self defense and 60% suicide/accidental shooting. Guns are not inherently evil, being inanimant objects, but arming our society will not do anything to reduce the amount of violence. Quite the opposite - if every one is armed, then an armed response (which is inherently violent in its very nature) by anyone who feels provoked will become the norm.