How to convert a lefty
This is part of a running dialogue that I prepare myself for. The thing to remember is that when a person tries to argue against YOU having a firearm, they're actually arguing against THEMSELVES having a firearm. So I always anticipate the perspective of the doubter.
And remember guys, this is about hearts and minds, not shock & awe. Be a diplomat.
Here's how it runs:
Q: Why do you carry a gun?
A: "It seems to me that citizens need guns more than police do. After all, criminals don't choose police as targets - they come after US."
(I realize that sometimes insane criminals DO choose police as targets, but still my point comes across)
Q: But you live in a pretty safe town - isn't carrying a gun paranoid?
A: "I agree that the town is relatively safe. It's not yet so safe that the police go unarmed though, is it?"
Q: Forget about the police. If you live in a safe area, I don't understand why you need a gun. Are you that scared?
A: I've never seen any houses in my neighborhood on fire, and yet I have a fire extinguisher. I don't lose sleep worrying about fire, but I prepare. Does this make me paranoid?
Q: But fire extinguishers aren't dangerous. Your gun could cause a fatal accident.
A: Your automobile is more deadly than a firearm. If you can drive every day without accidentally killing folk, then you can learn to use a firearm safely. I agree that complete idiots probably should abstain from using firearms. You don't look like an idiot to me. I think you could easily learn to handle a firearm safely. In fact, I'd be glad to teach you.
Q: But it's the police's job to protect me. People don't need guns.
A: The police apprehend criminals who have already committed a crime. They don't have the resources to stop crime as it happens. The police won't save you. They WILL write the report afterward.
...and so on.
The key to these conversations is to appeal to emotions other than fear. Above all, avoid statistics! Reliance on logical argument alone will fail, because despite what we'd like to think, opinions are not based on logic. We come to conclusions from deep-seated feeling, and we rationalize our opinions afterwards. It's just how the human brain works.
What emotions work best? For a left-leaning doubter, I like to play on common liberal distrust toward the police, appeal to their own sense of competence (convincing them that they CAN operate a firearm at least as safely as the police), etc etc. I find this to be very effective with the left. For serious lefties, I break out the "right to revolution" aspect of the 2nd amendment.
I'm not sure what sort of arguments are best for convincing anti-gun right wingers. I don't really mix with that crowd much... I wonder what was whispered in Giuliani's ear to make him change his mind? The world may never know.