I am against gun controll for all the reasons above
Have a freind that is a liscensed gun owner.gets a knock on the door opens the door and gets stabbed ten times.He was ten feat from his gun. I call him pin cushion now. The thief now owns his guns.Point is that the gun is rarely where ya need it when the need arises.
As far as using one to protect yourself from a cougar dream on.I have come across two in the last few weeks and a gun would not of helped.I walked straight into one that had no idea I was there.I was climbing over a sweeper on the river when we looked each other in the eyes.Afterwords I could not help giggling over the false security supplied by carring a gun.Probably would of shot myself trying to pull it.Believe it or not I did try like hell to pull my camers though...