Proclaiming that people who keep a weapon for self defense all think “it makes them some badass” is insulting language that will keep some people from being interested in what are some otherwise good points.

I’m a dude that agrees with the sentiment that a baseball bat coupled with bear spray is much better than a gun. The bear spray can be used at a distance of up to 50ft and while it will effectively immobilize someone, it won’t do permanent harm if you mistakenly target someone you care about. Baseball bat or knife is definitely a good option, but I can understand a smaller person’s concern that both have a need to be very close to a person to be effective and there’s a fear of being disarmed. A gun may let them defend themselves from a distance, and any shot, even a bad one or in the air from a distance is a great warning and potential deterence.

An assailant with a weapon themselves may feel provoked to use it if you come after them with a knife or baseball bat too, so it’s not unreasonable to opt for a gun in that circumstance too.

A gun itself does bring risk, and like I said I recommend bear spray as that stuff is way more effective than pepper spray, works at a distance and isn’t going to kill anyone by mistake. I still however understand why somebody might have more peace of mind knowing they have a gun handy vs just a baseball bat or knife. They’ll likely never need either or have an accident, but I won’t discount they might feel more secure with a means to defend themselves from a distance.