Please raise your hand if you think legally owning a firearm absolves you of ALL criminal liability.

[Atypical Liberal]

65. Ah, the old paranoia canard again.

Does wearing a seat belt mean I'm suspicious of all other drivers?

Does having homeowner's insurance mean I am suspicious of fires?

Does having smoke detectors make me suspicious of smoke?

People keep and bear arms because it is inexpensive insurance. Just like every other safety tool people own, be they flashlights (how often does the power go out?), seat belts (how often are you in car accidents?), spare tires (how often do you have flat tires?), smoke detectors and fire extinguishers (how often does your house catch of fire?), carbon monoxide detectors (how often does your furnace malfunction?).

People own all of these emergency devices, even though the chances of needing them are low, because it is cheap and easy to do so.. It is far, far better to have them and not need them than to need it and not have them.

Being prepared for emergencies does not indicate some irrational fear of disaster. It's simply prudent when the cost to be prepared is so cheap and the consequences of being unprepared is so costly.