guns- yea or nay?

I've always leaned toward yea, Ryan the nay.  My dream was to have (among many other guns) a cute little pistol with a pearl handle that I could wear in a garter.  Silly, maybe, but I still like to go target shooting and think it would add a sense of comfort should danger arise.  I also understand that having a gun can bring danger into your home when you have children, and that's why Ryan leans toward nay.  Of course there are precautions that you can and should take like a gun lock, safe location and teaching your children about them.  But to be honest I don't think having a gun in your house is anymore dangerous than having a pool in your back yard.  You just have to educate your babies and ALWAYS take safety precautions.

Well tonight was a night I really wanted a gun.  I was home alone with the kids because Ryan had gone to Gavin's to watch the BYU football game.  (Go Cougs!!!)  I just finished coloring my hair and came down stairs to make some popcorn (gotta have my late night carbs) when  somebody rang the doorbell.  I wasn't expecting anybody, and since we live far from most our family and friends, people don't just drop by unannounced.  Still it could be a ward member or something, so I got up and since we don't have a peep hole, yelled through the door "who is it?"  But if we had a peep hole, it wouldn't do any good anyway since I can't figure how to turn the porch light on and our front door doesn't face the street but just a long dark walk way since most of the houses around ours are vacant right now.  Anyway, there was no answer, so I just stood there thinking they might not have heard.  The door bell rings again and again I yell "who's there?" - still no answer.  So I made a quick round the house shutting of all the blinds and making sure the doors were locked.  Problem, one of our down stairs sliders doesn't lock and the dowel that we use to make sure the door won't open was missing since Drake likes to use it as a sword.  So I call Ryan, ask if he know where it is-no, tell him what's going on.  Get off the phone and a minute later the door bell rings again.  Call Ryan, tell him somebody's outside, I'm scared, Ryan says he's calling the police and coming home.  I panic, imagining the worst, grab a knife and run upstairs to the kids room.  Right now's when I 'm wanting a gun in my hand because I realize if I have to use this knife to defend myself or the kids, the attacker has to get really close before the knife is effective.  (Oh but I also REALLY want to take knife throwing lessons, then I'd be cool)  So I go into the kids room that's over the front door, although you can't look straight down since there's a balcony in the way.  I have the lights off and go to the blinds.  I see shadows and hear noises-I wasn't sure if it was hopping the fence noises, or trying to open a window noises, PANIC!!! so  I call 911 and tell them someone's trying to break in.  This was all in whispered sobs, I don't know how he understood my address.  But the calm operator dispatched a squad car right away.  Then was ten minutes of agonized waiting for the police, and in the mean time, realized I only had a knife and that wasn't going to do much-dang it, and why did we switch the door knob so the door locks from the other side?  So I pushed the dresser in front of the door.  Still crying, wondering what do I do if someone breaks in and me and my babies are up here?  Finally the police get here, I saw them and their flash lights, and Ryan arrives about the same time.  

The police look around and while we were on the porch talking to them, our neighbor comes out and announces he has his gun loaded and one in the chamber ready to shoot because he's scared.  He also had his door bell rung, had no answer then heard gravel from people climbing around outside looked out his window and saw two dark figures!!!  Holy cow!  So glad I didn't open the door!  I seriously haven't ever been so scared, I couldn't stop the tears from coming for so long.  Now I reeeeeeeeealy want a gun.  

What do you think?