I know it's very cliche, but I have yet to hear of a valid argument against it. "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

I think our society has a strong (and dangerously flawed) sense of security in 'the system'. Few people realize that the Colorado shooting earlier this year was actually one of the best police response times to a spree-killing in history... was it fast enough? Of course not - and they never will be.

We are too comfortable with the fantasy that our system will protect our freedoms and our lives and are unwilling (or unwitting) to take accountability for our own safety. Somehow being responsible for your own safety (carrying a concealed weapon) makes you a potential loose cannon, or at best a fanatic. We fear the idea of living in a society where the law is second only to the nearest gun slinger - what people don't realize is that many responsible gun owners under-go a great deal of personal restraint, emotional review and personal commitment when they carry a firearm - because they are intelligent enough to realize that if they misuse that privilege, they could very likely die or be held legally accountable for their actions - a prospect that may actually be more frightening than being a victim for many firearm owners. These are not the rednecks from the deer hunter - the contemporary carrying US citizen is a responsible, non-violent citizen who has a great deal more respect for human life than his/her detractors want to realize. A badge does not make you morally superior when defending yourself from an armed assailant - in the end, reality dictates that each of us is personally accountable to our survival.