On why I think it's a good idea to carry/have a gun....

I realize it has been a while since I posted anything, and I hope there are still people who read this blog on the infrequent times when I do post. In this post I solicit your opinion and input, whether you agree with me or not; in short, tell me what you think, please.    About 6 weeks ago, I had very strong feelings (dreams, promptings and such) that I should start carrying a handgun. My first inclination was to dismiss such feelings. After all, I feel like I am a non-violent person, and I definitely don't want to hurt anyone; the most violent thing I think I do is play Counter-strike on the PC with my bros.-in-law. Also, being vegan has made me more aware than others of the amount of unnecessary violence perpetuated in the world.    ...then our church got set on fire. Admittedly, it was only a small fire that torched 1 bishop's office, but it was set at ~2 AM, and had been burning about half an hour before someone caught it. Whomever the person(s) is(are) who set fire to a place of worship, they live close to where I do, and may also be the one(s) who have broken multiple windows at our church building before this.    Because of this incident, I realized that whomever is causing this destruction, they don't care about the law, people's rights (except for their own), or the moral outrage caused by setting fire to a house of God. A person who does things like this are the type, I think, that will do whatever they want in order to get what they want. Personal death or injury of someone else in the pursuit of their goals is not a deterrent to them.    Because of my position as husband, and hopefully a father someday, one of my duties is to protect my wife and family. The Book of Mormon is replete with examples of defense of families and rights. So is the Old Testament. Because my duty is to protect, I feel I should have the tools and implements available so I may do so. If this means carrying a .45 pistol at all times except when I am sleeping, so be it. If it means a shotgun at home loaded with beanbag or other non-lethal ordnance, that is my choice. If it means doing these things and learning karate or ju-jitsu, so be it. I don't feel like I should be proscribed (limited) in my choice of defenses. Karate or other martial-arts seem, to me, to be less desirable (not less effective!) because of the proximity to the target that is required in order to be effective. That and I'd probably hurt or break a hand or a foot trying to do something. Besides, a person with a gun probably isn't going to let me get close enough to do anything to stop him. Hmmm. Maybe if I had Chinese stars or something...    Some may exclaim "But, a gun is dangerous! What if a child gets a hold of the gun and shoots themselves, or someone else?" That is a valid concern. I feel that if I take responsibility for my actions, and take care of the gun like I will be trained to, the danger will be minimal. A gun is a tool, and, in my view, isn't any more dangerous than a steak knife, a fork, a sword, a power drill, a hammer or a nail-gun. All of these things can kill a person. Forks and knives are in every kitchen and are not locked up.    Personally, I don't understand the irrational fear and stigma that surrounds guns. It is a tool, one that must be respected and taken care of, and carried and used responsibly. Safes (either combination, lock or both), gun locks and keeping the ammo away from the unloaded gun unless it is securely locked away are safe practices. Having a flashlight and a laser-pointer on my gun are also good things to have. Always following the rules for safe gun-keeping, and never deviating from them, will allow me to carry responsibly and minimize the danger others might be exposed to because of my carrying a firearm.    Someone might say "But surely it's enough to know how to use and shoot a gun safely, in case of an emergency. It's unnecessary to carry it everywhere." True, it is a good idea to know how to shoot it in case of an emergency. But the questions beg to be asked "If it's OK with you, in an emergency, to use a gun to kill someone, why do you have a problem with me carrying one all the time in order to be prepared? If you don't have a problem with it being in the safe with a clip inserted but not chambered, why do you have a problem if I carry it the same way?"    I don't feel like I am a violent person. I see a gun that is carried with me as a form of insurance: I don't want to have to use it, but I'll be glad to have it if the need arises. I would feel terrible, I'm sure, if I ever had to draw on someone and 'drop the hammer', killing them; I may never get over it. I accept that fact, and I hope I am prepared. But I would feel infinitely worse if I were ever in the situation where I could have done something in order to protect myself, those I love, or even innocent people, and couldn't because I wasn't prepared. I don't want to be one of those unfortunates who can only stand in shock, looking like this: 8-O . But if my wife or I is in danger and there is no other recourse, you're damn straight I'm gonna take someone down. I don't want to be a victim, and I can't live with myself letting someone else be a victim either.    Training exists in order to teach people skills they didn't have to start with. I plan to get trained as much as I can so I can use my gun in a safe and effective manner; this includes extensive practice-shooting at targets and classes on firearm safety. I don't want to be one of those people who get a gun and then do nothing to better their skills. Those are the sort of careless people whose kids get hold of their parent's gun and kill either themselves or others, due to negligence. Without the bravado inherent in such a statement, I want to be one of the law-abiding good-guys who carries a gun.    I would appreciate your comments, if they can be posed in a non-confrontational manner. No name-calling, please. Thank you.