I take it that article is by a writer in the USA? One look at these figures for Gun Deaths, and it seems pretty clear why a lot of us take with a pinch of salt anything emanating from the USA encouraging gun possession:

Gun deaths per 100,000 population

                   Homicide             Suicide         Unintentional

USA             4.08 (1999)             6.08 (1999)      0.42 (1999)

Canad          0.54 (1999)             2.65 (1997)      0.15 (1997)

Switzerland    0.50 (1999)             5.78 (1998)      -

Scotland       0.12 (1999)             0.27 (1999)      -

England/Wales   0.12 (1999/00)          0.22 (1999)      0.01 (1999)

Japan          0.04 (1998)            0.04 (1995)      <0.01 (1997)