LOL...Ivory tower, no and I'm not religious so I take a bit of offense to that. I don't get why I get labelled as a bible humping liberal because I don't feel the need to carry a gun around. It's not that my town is crime free, it's just that the rate of serious crimes is so low, that I have more chance of getting killed driving to the gun store that I do by a person I would require a gun to protect myself from. The biggest time for crime is fri./sat. night at the bar and it's nice to know that if you get in a fight, it'll will be carryed out like men with fists...You don't have to worry about someone pulling a knife or gun out, I mean eventhough your fighting, there's still a gentlemen's code. But thats because we're small town folk, if you went to Ottawa or Montreal you could get stabbed, anything goes in the cities these days, but in the country we keep it more civilized.
I can't say this enough...I RESPECT the fact that some use guns to protect their family, which if required, is great in my opinion, just don't give me the whole "its THE real world". It might be "YOUR real world" but its not "THE real world". I as well as many people I know have travelled all over the REAL WORLD and not always in resorts and I/we never felt it was necessary . If you live in a dangerous neighborhood then get a gun, BUT use it for its purpose > PROTECTION and not a d!ck extension!
P.S. The narrow minded statement was by you: "I need a gun because I live in the REAL world and everyone who doesn't need a gun lives in a biblical oasis.
I usually hear "Ivory Tower" get used to describe academics who have no idea how the world works outside of a classroom, not really in the religious context. Gun rights/self defense advocates are sensitive to the fact that a lot of their fellow countrymen are completely oblivious to things like home invasions and kidnappings, so I didn't read that as directed toward you. Anyway, violent crime in America is at an all time low, so they'll probably get away with pretending it doesn't exist. I just don't want anyone telling me that I shouldn't prepare in case I'm that "statistically insignificant" guy who gets his front door kicked in by a pack of armed felons. Same reason I carry a very well stocked medic bag in the 4Runner. I'll probably never use it, but I'm well trained with it, and I'd rather not lay awake wondering what would have happened if I had had it.
One more thing your post raised. One of the great ancillary benefits of the passage of self defense legislation like concealed carry and "Stand your ground" laws is that idiots who use violence to get their way or as entertainment on a Friday or Saturday night are slowly learning that if someone doesn't want to fight, you really best leave them alone because otherwise you're just rolling the dice. And ironically, THAT is what civilization is supposed to be like.
Peace
:gun6: