1) Joseph – you made me laugh in a way I’ve never laughed before on YW. Thank you!
2) Guns: Many people have pointed out that the hype from guns and kids is mainly due to the shock value of it rather than the sheer statistics. Because if it was to go by statistics, then we’d be decrying people with kids and swimming pools (even fenced and locked ones, many kids die per year) or as someone else said, cars. The thing is, cars are too useful to ban around kids, i.e. the benefits outweigh the risks. With guns, it is easy to make the case that the risks outweigh the benefits. But that does not make the argument correct.
3) Insurance: Amongst Jews, it is certainly a minority view (in today’s age) to oppose life insurance (I assume that this is all about life insurance, or should I extend the discussion to disability income, health insurance, liability insurance, property insurance, lost luggage protection, and all other forms of pooled risk?). If your Rav taught you to follow this view and you think that it is a majority opinion or one that you should debate with others, then your Rav only told you half a story. Life insurance IS prohibited by many other religions, since they see it as defying G-d’s will.
I will assume that Queen of Persia is Jew and not an representative of another religion that opposes insurance. Therefore, Queenie should not try to “educate” everyone else about this minority view. I’m sure your Rav didn’t tell you to.