Ugh, I could start throwing up statistics but I don't feel like it. I am just gonna say for anyone who thinks handguns in and of themselves are dangerous, just do some research. It's fact that the states that have loose gun control have lower crime rates than those who have extreme gun control like D.C., California and New York. Our own Bureau of Justice states that handguns are the safest means of self-defense.
I understand that not everyone may be comfortable around guns but I also think even if you don't want anything to do with them, you should at least consider the fact that people have the right to protect themselves and can do so responsibly. guncite.com is a good source to read about stuff like this.
That said, I don't think this thread will go anywhere and no one's going to change their mind about anything just because of this thread so I'm probably beating a dead horse by now.