Lets look at it another way. Are you mature enough to be raped and murdered? Are you mature enough to be killed and eaten? Are you mature enough to watch your pet dog killed and eaten?

Through no fault of your own, are you mentally and morally prepared to be a victim?

Now flip things back again. I carry a medical kit, even though I never use it. I carry jumper cables and tire chains in my truck even though neither have been removed from their original packages. I carry a fire extinguisher in my truck too and yet I have never, ever come upon an accident where it is needed.

I'm not a trained and licensed paramedic, firefighter or mechanic. But with my fire extinguisher I can put out a small gasoline fire before it becomes an inferno. Without it I can only stand back and watch.

A firearm is a tool for projecting lethal force. If you need to kill something a firearm is the best way to do it. With a firearm, a 115lb woman can kill a 115lb wolf that is killing her dog, or she can kill a 250 man who is bent on raping and killing her. Without the firearm she can only stand back and watch. Or die.

Do you need a little training to use a fire extinguisher effectively? Yes, at least read the instructions on the label. Do you need a little training to use those jumper cables? Yes, but it is hardly rocket-science. Do you need a little training on how to use a firearm? Yes, a little, but they are pretty simple.

Do you need to decide whether or not you want to be a victim? Yes, because that will determine if you have a medical kit, tire chains, jumper cables, fire extinguisher and a firearm.