"If an assalant got within arm's reach of me, I would be easily overpowered..."

It's the "what happens next" that is what you should consider. Is it worse to defend yourself, or is it worse to let someone do harm (or worse) to you.

"I doubt that I would even use a gun, even if our house were invaded and my life were threatened."

You seem to be implying that you think that your life is not worth defending with lethal force. I however, think otherwise, and I would defend YOU with lethal force if necessary. Any life is worth protecting. (and predatory criminals should be instantly killed...) You deserve your shot at life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Smart people, long since dead, thought so.

It may be helpful to think about things from another perspective. If your husband's life were threatened, would you want him to defend himself, or would you want him to just accept his fate - whatever that may be? Your answer is likely how he feels about you. If you think that you'd want him to fight back, isn't it fair to prepare to do that yourself?

My wife is not that big, but she knows which end of a pistol is the friendly end and which is the angry end. I would not call her an expert by any stretch, but she was sworn in as a Deputy anyway.

Should you wish to rely on a firearm as defense, you need to practice with it. A lot. Until you hate practicing with it. Read books from Gabe Suarez. Practice more.

If you choose that it is not for you (and that's no stigma) then you may want to make sure that your firearms are locked-up so they are not stolen or used against you. Get a safe. Then consider another defense. This could be reinforcing your bedroom door and windows and creating a safe area. (Have a cell phone handy for 911.) Or it could mean getting out of the house immediately if you hear a strange noise.

Honestly though, if you are a small person, there is no greater equalizer than a firearm in trained (and small) hands. Your life has much greater value than the life of a predatory criminal intent on doing you harm. Really.

"The Lord made men, but Sam Colt made them equal”. Supposedly said about Sam Colt, But I am unable to find anything else about it.

Not TV, the police reports in the paper.

Are you being serious?

You have some personal ethical issues and mindset about a potential assault on your person. The presence or lack of any inanimate object; firearm or other has little impact on that more important tool. I would suggest contacting your local police about any community opportunities to improve your personal awareness. You need to become proactive about your safety. Weaponry is a often poor solution to unknown dangers. The USA with the world's largest nuclear arsenal was successfully attacked on 9/11 with box cutters. And now, as a note to contributors. This thread has allready spun into a cat's cradle of inappropriate posts. My moderator's arsenal of options is fully loaded.

No matter what your sex or size, call on me and I will equalise." - Samual Colt's original advertising slogan. Which is why a pistol is often refered to as an "equaliser."

"I'm seriously thinking about getting rid of my guns."

I'll be happy to relieve you of their burden! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

If I could just throw in a quick comment.

If you have made a personal decision, thought is through, then don't let other people tell you differently if you feel strongly about it. Firearm ownership is not for everybody.

But, burgler alarm ownership can be for everybody (renters might have to think twice, though), and dog ownership might also be a good idea, depending on house/apartment, schedule, and allergies.

An alarm will let an intruder know that police are likely on the way, and a properly trained dog will let an intruder know that he should pick up the various parts of his anantomy and report to the hospital to have them re-attached.

I like firearms, but they are not the be-all and end-all of any situation. In order to use them, you have to be awake and in the proper frame of mind. Everybody reading this who has a gun by the bed had also better have a decent alarm system installed or have a sufficiently loud dog with sensetive ears to wake you up in case something happens.

I choose not to carry one for practical reasons; space, weight and cost. I use the space for water and clothes, the weight for extra food and the cost is much more than I would spend on the entire kit.

Its a balance

I think this all goes back to the basic idea that your mind is your best survival tool. Whatever your choice of equipment and techniques, practice it before you need it. I have studied martial arts for many years, as well as doing a stint in the military, and have come to view self-defense as just one more survival skill. IMHO, if there was just one correct way, everybody would be doing it.