I certainly may have misinterpreted the comment, but let me tell you, you can't believe the things people accuse me of just because I'm a gun owner.
To answer your question, I do not consider myself a pacifist. I would certainly fight back any way I could to protect my family. The thing I am afraid of though, is overreacting and perhaps taking it a step too far. Sometimes I get angry at people and don't like how it makes me feel, and in those situations, having a weapon on me might lead me to make a very rash decision.
This is why education is so important. Especially shoot/don't shoot scenarios. In fact, I did quite a bit of research before deciding which of the several places nearby to take firearms classes. The range at which I take places has an interactive, computer generated video simulation training room. There are several scenarios...several of which you should not shoot in. The system also tracks whether your shots were hits or misses, and whether they would take the assailant out of the fight. The first time I used it, several people in my class took shots and missed. The instructor said, "your shot just went through the wall and hit a neighbor's child." Trust me, it makes you much more careful about your reaction.
I like this place. Law enforcement officers from across the state and surrounding states take training there. I'm lucky I'm so close. But good training is absolutely necessary if you are going to take the responsibility to carry a weapon.