Boofhead,
Don't whap yourself outside the head, it will upset your aim
I love going to the States. I even lived in Texas for two years flying T-37's on exchange and my wife is American. Don't get more gun crazy than the" Lone Star State" mind you the beer could use some work.
I felt perfectly safe there, as long as one stayed out of certain neighbourhoods. That goes for any city in the world I should think. If gangs or criminals go about killing each other then I'm all for it. They are doing society a favor and sparing us the time/money to send them to the gas chamber. I know I'm a bit odd in that I support the death penalty but not firearms in general.
My major point, as I have said in other post's, is just that I don't believe that firearms on board are the answer.
Don't dispair I will visit the US and I will proudly fly on a US airplane
Cheers
Ps Anyone read the book "Chicken Hawk"? It's about a Air Cav pilot in Vietnam. There's a classic part in the book when he blows a hole in the instrument panel with a pistol. Had me laughing for hours that part.