Jag, while I respect what you have to say, and I am by no means calling you stupid, this may be a situation that is simply not quite understood by non-Americans. Even some Americans might not understand.
The second amendment of the US constitution is very precious to many people in this country.
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Now granted, this amendment is 211 years old. But even if interpreted in modern times, one could interpret it as "In order to keep our country free, people have the right to have guns, knives, etc."
I used to believe a lot of what you're saying, jag. In fact, if I were still a resident of the state of Missouri, I would probably vote to keep the ban against concealed weapons (one of only 7 states I believe to have this ban) b/c I find most Missourians beyond St. Louis to have the IQ of a sock.
But seriously, the second amendment is an unshakable belief that is as strong as our first amendment. The amendments are part of the foundation of our country, and are what make our society truly unique. The Constitution was created so that Americans would never have to suffer as they did under Union Jack rule. People bearing arms are what helped us become the United States of America.
As a whole, our police forces are rather effective, and it's a shame that a few bad apples fuck it up for everyone. While we have laws that govern us, and police that protect us, we are an individualistic society (for better or for worse). We control our destinies for the most part...and that includes the right to protect ourselves in a legal manner, with guns if we choose to do so.
Criminals are bad...they are selfish, and care for nobody but themselves. So, they will do whatever they desire to get over on you.
Strictly as a hypothetical, maybe someone will try to mug Maggie (not that I want to see that happen, of course) and WILL draw a gun faster than her. But, because she is also carrying, there is an equalizing factor. It gives her a fighting chance. To put it plainly, it moves her status from "completely fucked" to "possibly fucked."
I don't like guns. And maybe I'm risking my life by not carrying one, but that's my decision. I feel able to carry on my life in the city of Philadelphia by not carrying one. And maybe restrictive gun laws are helping us. But we still have people on the street, using semi-automatic weapons, killing each other. People using guns in robberies, assaults. And now, we have people getting creative...passing notes to tellers in bank windows, using no weapon whatsoever.
To me, it's about the criminal element. We have to find better ways to stop the criminal element before it starts. Education...man, that is so damned important. People need to get themselves schooled. Learn that they can succeed in life without having to resort to criminal activity. Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds, but somehow, we have to find a way in this country to show that good always trumps bad. Throwing people in prison and restricting our freedoms doesn't seem to be helping that.
In conclusion, we are a unique country that has developed under unique circumstances. Many of our people believe in the right to bear arms, and for the most part, it has worked well over the past 226 years. And so long as law-abiding citizens are not using those arms to infringe upon my individual rights, why the fuck should I care?