Petro spoke:

There are 3 cases why one would keep a loaded firearm in the house for self defense--well, at least three, but three general cases is all I can think of off the top of my head:

Why wouldn't you keep loaded guns in the house? Guns should always be loaded, and everyone made aware of it. My kids were raised knowing they were always loaded, and they were never "hidden" or locked up. They also were allowed to shoot them, and often. They also had guns of their own which they could shoot and were allowed to play with under supervision. I've never, in all my life, as far as I know, ever lived in a house without loaded guns in it. At least as far back as I can remember, my Daddy's guns were loaded, at least the pistols. Mine always have been, and always will be. If you raise your kids to be stupid about loaded guns, or any other dangerous tool -- well, I guess Darwin had a point.