IT ONLY DOES EVERYTHING - "KILLS" included.

Yeah, oops. In reading wiki again, I did screw up on the years in the homicide rate. However, US rate did fall faster during the same time period as Canada's.  :P

But, my point is that Canada has crime as does any other place and gun ownership is not the reason why its different.

"Historically, the violent crime rate in Canada is lower than that of the U.S. and this continues to be the case. For example, in 2000 the United States' rate for robberies was 65 percent higher, its rate for aggravated assault was more than double and its murder rate was triple that of Canada. However, the rate of some property crime types is lower in the U.S. than in Canada. For example, in 2006, the rates of vehicle theft were 22% higher in Canada than in the US. Since violent crimes are a smaller fraction of all crimes, the difference between the two countries is less than the homicide rate might make it seem, and the overall rates are generally close." - from same wiki article

So yes, Canada has a lower overall rate, but when you compare all crime and all other socio-economic reasons for that crime... its not that different and I'd bet that guns are not the cause.

You're right. If NO ONE had any weapons, then everything would be perfect. However, that's not the real world and in the real world there are bad people who do bad things.

I simply feel its my right to have the means to defend my family from any person or entity that might do them harm.

Because crime happens no where else than US right? I know I could upen any news paper from Europe or Canada major city and see rape, murder, and various other non-violent crimes. 

Its not about constant fear of people around you that makes you want to own a gun, its about knowing and realizing there are people out there who do harm others. Then you think ok, how can I protect my family? Well, I can get alarms and locks and such. Which I do and I know that works to an extent. But, there there's still the case where think about the possibility of home invasion or daytime burglery etc. Owning a gun allows that extra comfort, knowing you can stop anything.

Funny part about US is, even though gun ownership is so high, very few people walk around with them. They are kept at home as they are for home defense. If people were "deathly afraid all the time" you'd expect to see holsters everywhere you go, like the old west. btw, I live in Arizona which is one of the most prolific gun ownership states in the nation. I can probably count on one hand how many guns I see out in public in a year. Its not fear, but the idea of the best way to protect one's family from any type of harm. I just don't believe in being a victim.

You can defend your family without a gun (a baseball bat maybe?) in a country where people don't normally wield guns (especially not your everyday douche thug).

That aside, grats on your 13k!

I don't have much of a problem with people owning guns but it does bother me when I see "gun lovers" on forums obsessing over brands of guns or constantly talking about home invasion plans and shooting people.

Sensible gun owners are A-okay but paranoid people obsessed with their shooting weapons are not.

Tin Tin is the biggest gun advocate the world has ever seen.  I think Snowy once shot a man, too.