In talking to people, I have heard several questions repeated time and time again. Perhaps answering them here would save you the trouble of having to ask.

Q: Can't we all just learn martial arts instead?
A: My friend Andrea advocated just that. However, she is young, strong, agile and has had a decade of training. Hand-to-hand combat against a mugger or a rapist remains an unprofitable option for an older person, or someone with a disability.

In addition to the hefty responsibilities, personal sidearms confer the power to save lives. Amazingly, we do not question that banks and various elected hacks employ armed gurds to protect their money and themselves - all the while telling you and me to be unarmed, unable to protect our own families!

A friend, who preferred to remain anonymous, has suggested describing her situation, which is quite typical. It vividly illustrates the problem with the current law.

Remember when you started calling me two years ago? You told me how much you knew about me, my name, where I lived, that I did not drive and so had to walk to get anywhere. You kept calling me, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly, always from blocked numbers.

I called the cops about you. Because they do not view stalking as "an immediate threat", I had to leave a message. they responded two days later and told me to write down the times when you called me. I learned how to trace phone calls from the phone company. If the phone company traces three calls to the same number, they would write a letter to my stalker. If my stalker called from different or untraceable numbers, they cannot even do that much.

The police are of no help. They cannot station a cop by my door nor have one escort me everywhere. Since I am not a politician, the State does not provide me with a bodyguard and I cannot afford to hire one full-time. I hope you don't mind that I have solved part of the problem. I can now feel secure in my home, because I have means of defending myself here.

If I had physical evidence, perhaps a bullet hole or two in my windows, they would consider giving me the permit. So, my dear stalker, please write to me. A letter stating clearly who you are and when you plan to attack me would go a long way toward convincing my local Chief of Police that I deserve a means of self-protection.

A woman in Minneapolis