1. Agree bats and fists don't work against guns. Fists don't even work when you are jumped by multiple guys.
2. No matter how big and bad you are, in the right situation you'll never see it coming. These guys that think they can be Bruce Lee are clueless. Guys in prison will tell you when the time comes, someone will sucker punch you. These guys that think they'll have time to pull a weapon are fooling themselves, you'll be laying on the ground in a pool of blood.
3. Not everyone that loves guns is a red neck. Sure, lots of people love guns, rich, middle class, lower class, and poor. The law isn't to be trusted, you shoot someone you'd better be aware that your life as you knew it is over, you will be dragged into court and you will look over your shoulder on the street. I've been in situations I could have shot some guys that were basically trying to kill me out in the middle of nowhere. They started some shit and ended up trying to run me off the road, we reached speeds over 120mph, ended going about 75 miles on the road with those dickheads trying to run me off. I didn't have weapon, but if I did I suspect I would have stopped my vehicle and confronted them and possibly shot them if they continued to threaten me. The cops later caught them and they were arrested, but it's one of those things that could have ruined my life early on, I would have lost my career and my future potential to earn money.
Funny thing about hippies is that they are peace and love until someone robs them and then they turn into Charlie Manson.
4. Fire power would be important, more important is staying out of trouble in the first place. If you live in a high crime area, leave immediately. There are lots of places to live in this country where crime rates are very low. Leaving a high crime area is the best thing you can do for your state of mind. I'm not gonna walk around a bunch of thugs to test my chances at getting jumped, mugged, robbed or murdered. Chicago....nope. San Antonio where i used to live...nope. Mid-west in a town with 98+% white working class...yes. I don't want to be racist, but the truth it's just demographically a whole lot safer when you have a bunch of people that respect each others space.