The idiocy of the guns-as-protection argument broken down:
Somewhere, in a head above a red neck and a very small penis, two brain cells rattling in a void finally meet each other for the first time. "Hey, I just gone had myself a thought, what if someone came in and started shooting at me? I need to protect myself - I need a gun!".
[buys gun]
"That's better, now I have a gun I must surely be safe".
Except now instead of the remote chance that someone will come in with a gun, the odds of it happening have increased exponentially. The people already come in with guns!
"Oh shoot"
[bang, bang, bang]
Not having guns so freely available is more of a protection than having a gun. In a civilized country.
But heck, if I had to live in America I'd have a rocket launcher strapped to my back and scythes sticking out of my wheel rims! :D