Diana, no.

The last time I felt in fear for my life was in Southern France, in the Basque country. I felt somewhat threatened twice in Ireland -- once in Cork and once in Dublin -- when the Irish Army suddenly appeared on the street in full combat gear (they were moving bank funds). I felt threatened in New York City last October -- but because of the City Fathers' early 20th Century paranoia about emigrants with guns there are very strict laws there about weapons, ANY weapon.

There are bars here were I could go to feel threatened, but anyone who deliberately walks into danger gets what they deserve.

1. The only time my home has been broken into my wife and I were upstairs preparing for bed. The crime was over in seconds; a gun wouldn't have either helped or hindered because it was over too quickly. I never considered getting one.

2. Dead wrong. My friend Mary screamed and was thrown into a bathroom (where she locked the door). The invader left, but not immediately; he took a television with him.

3. Statistics don't bear this out, at least in the US, although it's been said so often it's usually considered to be true. If it were true, given the number of firearms available in the US alone we'd be wading in blood. We're not; firearms "accidents" (there is no such thing!) are so infrequent that they make the news.

4. Again, no. Not if you're trained in its use. If you aren't so trained and won't take the time to become well-versed in the use of weapon (or anything else for that matter) you shouldn't have it, much less try to use it.

5. Heck yes! There are far, far more cars than burglars so statistically you're correct. And it's not the burglars that bother me -- it's the thugs who invade homes. Like the party of four teenagers who were arrested last week out on the Shoshone-Bannock Reservation. White kids, 14, 14, 16 and 15, who'd knock on a door and when the homeowner opened it, slash them with a machete -- no theft, just random, ugly violence. A true burglar is a sneak and a coward; a home invading thug is a violent menace. As I've said before, I'll help you carry the stuff you're stealing from me to your car. I can replace it. I can't replace either my life or the life of my wife, and I won't help anyone take either one of those.

I quite agree with you about the media. I wish it would STOP making it look like violence is the solution to everything. It's not.