Maybe I'm naive, but I'm with the "statistically it just doesn't add up camp". In my neighborhood, been here about 19 yrs now, there used to be gunshots heard fairly regularly, a bullet came through the window of the apt below me, at an angle where had it come through my window it most like would have hit me, owning a gun would not have helped me at all. Turns out no one was intentionally shooting at the building, just some dumb-ass kids "playing" with a stolen pistol. They have been steadily improving this area since I moved in, as a light rail line and station will be coming through blocks from me in about 2 more yrs, and it is night and day, the problem people have been arrested-moved on, whatever, problem buildings demolished, a park created, getting really nice. I never once felt threatened in any way, when I moved in I had no car, used the bus, was up all hours, walking, bicycling etc, saw the dealers lookouts on the corner, always said hi, made sure they knew I saw them knew what they were about, but never gave them trouble, I never had any in return. There has never been a burglary in my complex since I have lived here or a stolen car. I guess if its your time it's your time, I'm not combat trained, when you are young and cocky you assume you could shoot it out and win, when you really think about it, the odds are NOT in your favor. If you are lucky, both you idiots miss, but then where to the bullets end up? Again, unless you are living in South Central or somewhere similar, the best defense is to be a known, non-asshole in your community, this means tolerating people who are different, but even bad guys will say, "nah, don't rob him I know that guy, he's all right". Random shit can and will always happen, but life is short, and I'm not wasting my time worrying about "what if". What if the boiler blows up in the building tonight? I'm dead, that's what, and I feel the odds of that are about equal to my ever needing to defend myself with deadly force. (edited)