It's theoretical and metaphorical. And elliptical. It's also accurate logically, the exact circular reference that exists for non-gunowners.
Gunowners don't trust others, but non-gunowners are supposed to trust gunowners.
At least you didn't come up with, "Well, buy yourself a gun then!"
FWIW, I don’t trust ANYONE until they show me I can trust them. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but that doubt is what Gavin De Becker calls The Gift of Fear.
There are places in this world where I feel vulnerable. I don’t walk around gun in hand to provide a cone of certainty, but I do stay alert. I watch some people’s hands more than their faces, especially males that may appear to be physically threatening (I’m 6’2” and not a physically small man), and I take steps to ensure I stay the least vulnerable I can. I take a defensive posture in threatening situations (arguments on the train, shouting in the bar), because appearing non-threatening and, in case of trouble, running is the best self defence there is. Now, when I’m with my wife or kids, that protective cloak grows, and often me running isn’t going to help them stay safe, so other strategies are required, such as shelter in place while continuing a threat assessment.
Not until a physical threat of personal harm comes to my door, or that of my family, does a weapon even become part of the calculus. However, when it does, and it presents a real, credible, and defensible threat, it will be neutralized. That is what a gun is for.
I don’t want to fight in an era of people stomping on heads and multiple assailants on one victim, let alone the proliferation of knives and guns. If I lose a fight, I also lose the ability to protect my family. Heck, if I’m in a fight, I have already removed the cloak of protection from them, and they instantly become vulnerable, too.
In Illinois, there is NO RIGHT to shoot to protect property, only life. So, if someone breaks into my house, I go into “protect the family” mode. If a burglar is in the house, I have two choices: remain in place, in a defensive posture, or advance and confront...which is allowed. From there, if someone says “I’m not here to harm you, I just want your stuff” I don’t have the right to shoot him. If his adrenaline spikes from the startle and he approaches me forcefully, and threateningly, then he dies. As long as that happens when he is coming towards me and not fleeing or moving away from me, then I’m legally fine. If he’s running out of the door after hitting me in the head with a lamp, and I shoot him, then I may well be liable for manslaughter.
So, while not quite as complicated as flying an aircraft and knowing aviation law, I take the legal responsibilities of gun ownership very, very seriously and know the laws. Others? Maybe not so much, but then I’m not responsible for them.