So, when we are dealing with things for self-defense against those who wish to HARM ME (or kill me, or steal my stuff, or rape my wife, or whatever you want to say)... I should not be allowed to use an object whose primary design is to shoot and harm, and yes, even kill, living things?
I'm not saying "only criminals will have guns," thought that is true. My argument, though, is not "hey, that's not fair!" My argument is that, in light of the need for self defense, I SHOULD be allowed to have objects whose design is to effectively and safely (to those around me) kill someone attempting to harm me or my family. Or my livestock (like a mountain lion... errr, well, assuming you don't live in California where they are protected, of course...).
but then again I don't have paranoid fantasies of being a modern-day Braveheart.
Perhaps there are those that have this. But you seriously read my post and think that I want to be a modern-day Braveheart? I watched the movie and didn't like it because of the violence. I've watched history things from the BBC and I am consistently shocked at the penchant for violence that we have. We don't even need a good reason to kill people. He looked at me funny. He doesn't look like me. He talks funny. He's walking where I don't want him to walk. He supports the wrong king. He's the wrong religion. He doesn't have a religion. He does have a religion. He came from the wrong family. His great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather insulted mine. Humans are violent.
So, before you say that I want my gun because I want to be a modern day Braveheart, perhaps you could at least try to understand the potential benefits of using said guns? Regardless of whether or not *I* have one, it's more or less inevitable (see history) that others will. We simply cannot assume that this violent human race we are a part of will, unequivocally, decide to relinquish all weapons meant to kill, or seriously maim (like swords, bows, guns, bombs, sharpened sticks). So the question is ... is it a good idea to keep those who wish to protect themselves against such violence from accessing weapons to protect themselves?
Since you mention Braveheart; let's say your wife was going to be raped, forcibly - who cares by whom. Would you fight back? Let's say they had guns. Would you wish you had one? Let's say they had a sword. Would you be content with your stick, or wish you had a sword, too?
The point is not that I want to do evil with my gun. The point is that I want to prevent evil done to those around me and those I love. And I don't count, for what it's worth, "taxes" as evil.
To me... this does not seem hard to understand... to borrow your phrase; but then again, I don't have idealistic fantasies about a modern utopia free of violence, nor do I immediately assume that anyone who wants a gun wants to be a modern-day Braveheart. Almost everyone I personally know that owns or even "likes" guns is extremely safe with them and has them for sporting and self-defense. Don't let the actions of a few crazy people (whether that's mentally or simply radical) make you think we are all that way... no more than you want "gun-control" people to all sound like the crazies example of an ignorant, hypocritical gun-control advocate who wishes to not let the general populace have guns but wishes to have them himself for his own protection.