Mike, STC, you're absolutely right in that guns are dangerous if not treated with respect. I do not think you are fools in disagreeing with their carriage- I do think you're missing the point slightly in the risks involved.
I make no claim to be an expert on firearm deaths, but (perhaps someone with access to the relevant statistics can comment?) I believe most deaths by firearm happen in the process of a felony. The next most common causes, would (I'm guessing here) be by suicide (and the Silkair event has, sadly, shown that airline pilots don't need guns to commit suicide) and by accidents in the handling of guns. Proper training can almost entirely prevent those kind of accidents; it is usually untrained handling that causes accidental discharge.