I find it odd that you think a gun protects you in public. Its always seemed to me like you are more likely to be shot if you're carrying a gun, because an armed criminal now has to shoot you first if they want to ensure that they are not shot themselves. If you are unarmed they can simply threaten to shoot you and need not actually shoot.

I guess in the US thee are so many guns that perhaps criminals will just assume that you're armed anyway. But IMO that only makes the case for gun control stronger. Because the most effective way to change that attitude would be to dramtically decrease the number of guns in circulation.