Why More Americans Want to Own Guns

[God of Mr. Hanky]

Got any proof that I would not learn to shoot faster than I would learn to take down a delusional attacker of twice my size with my own fists?

None whatsoever.  But learning to use a firearm isn't the same as actually using one.

In the absence of either option being untenable, where police protection is insufficient, then what?

Then nothing.  I'm just pointing out that your argument about a gun being sure fire protection (pun intended) from an unarmed attacker is unsupported.  People panic, they freeze up.  In both instances where I was faced with firearms, I was able to take the weapon away from my attacker and beat each one to something resembling a pulp.  Granted, had they been cool, calm and collected, they could have dropped me like a bad habit.  But they weren't and they didn't.

Oh, then why would the real-life physical bully who bullies people all over this forum as well give a shit about equalizing our society anyway? It's not even "our" society, with you being the non-American who just has to throw his weight at a society which he knows so little of.

If you're intimating that I am - or ever have been - a bully, you're grossly mistaken.  If I take the rest of your comment correctly, I'm not attempting to change the American gun culture, merely pointing out the flaws of a system where very nearly anyone who wants one can acquire a firearm with little or no training or safety precautions, and the specious reasons for being allowed to do so.

For what it's worth, there is a LOT of private gun ownership in New Zealand, yet our gun-related deaths are miniscule compared to those in the US.

Boru

You tend to be rather blunt with people here at times - that's all I can honestly say on that, but then I suppose I am too sometimes.

I'm in favor of permitting gun ownership, and concealed carry for any American (and anyone in the world, don't see a good reason not to), provided that they undergo a standard and effective training course which deals not only with safe handling, shooting accuracy, and legal education, but also simulated situations which many police training programs use. This may sound like a bit much for the average citizen, but it's probably necessary in order to ensure that the gun actually makes people more safe than vulnerable. It would at least provide the option available to all which they deserve in a civil society, not just for those belonging to the elite club of military personnel and law enforcement officials, especially where the latter are either running rampant with abuse or are just plain absent where they would be theoretically useful. Also, while I generally dislike the privatization of government functions, in this case allowing the administration of training by regulated private enterprise would speed up the process for permit applicants, so that nobody would have to wait a year or more in order to get their training started. It wouldn't hurt the economy in any way either.