AstroAg17 said:
I disagree. It's entirely anecdotal but in my life and the lives of people I know I can think of many cases where a gun was necessary to deal with an animal in an unexpected situation, and exactly 0 cases where it was necessary to deal with a person.
I'd make the opposite claim; that it's more useful for animals. The situations where it's justified to shoot a person are exceedingly rare.
Depends on where you live, I suppose.
About the scariest thing I've ever seen in the burbs of Dallas are a couple coyotes and bobcats which aren't going to mess with me or my dog that's twice their size. If I lived somewhere with bears, maybe I'd think about carrying. Bears are scary.
The problem with guns isn't the guns themselves or their limited utility beyond killing humans, its some of the culture associated with guns. I have known way too many people that treat guns like an extension of their manhood, or as a toy, or as a political statement. Plenty of people are responsible with guns. Plenty of people aren't.
I think I'm on board with Dermdoc, I'm not opposed to guns. . . . but, I'm not generally prepared to use one another human being. It seems more likely liability with two kids in the house than something that would be needed in an extreme enough situation.