Actually, Rapparee, I said nothing about being required to carry. But I'll let that pass. Here's the point about why an opinion that everyone should be allowed to carry a gun is misguided. Many people who would have a gun in their pockets would not be responsible people. You are allowing psychopaths, many undiagnosed, and would-be criminals to carry a gun. Even responsible people would, in a panic situation, quite likely shoot to kill. You wouldn't exactly have time to consider which part of your target to aim for. A person attacking you may well have criminal intent. Most criminals, if caught, are subject to the judicial process of your country. Very few would be killed by the state (none, hopefully) at the end of that process, yet you are giving unqualified people who won't be making a measured decision the means to circumvent that process in summary fashion. Only an extremely irrational person would think this is right. Our countries are supposed to be civilised, remember? Unfortunately, because the challenge in the US to this misguided position is so weak, and the gun lobby so strong, the number of gun deaths is enormous. If you think you have a legitimate opinion as to why I'm wrong in any of this, do address it point by point. Perhaps not in this thread, and bearing in mind that we have been down that tiresome road too many times already.