There is an obvious media manipulation going on to convince people that they should give up their rights to self protection and rely on the government to keep them safe from harm. I find the number of people that are willing to pass responsibility for their own safety to someone else in exchange for the illusion of safety extremely disheartening. If your government has the power to determine what you "need", then you are a subject and are not free. Laws should govern actions. Be suspicious of any law that focuses on possession or objects.