> I can't help the way I see it. I mean, this is just logic to me. I'd like to see things differently, but I don't.

I think that you can help the way you see it... Part of it is about listing the reasons why you see it that way and then responding to them. I've prefer it if you didn't think that I (and all the other folk at PsychCentral) were 'mentally defective'. While I often feel broken and defective most of the time I manage to see these as feelings rather than facts.

> Echoes, do you think it's mentally defective to desire a gun in order to protect yourself from someone you believe will put you in danger (perhaps with a gun himself)?

I think that depends on the statistics as to whether lawfully owned firearms actually do prevent more danger than they cause.

If there is evidence that they cause more danger than they prevent then the person could well be having some kind of a logical consistency problem...

The term 'mentally defective' is decidedly normative / judgemental, however. Who gets to decide who is paradigmatic of 'not mentally defective'? Who are they to prescribe norms for society...