Yes, I agree also. (About the civilian needing to carry a backup). The chances of a civilian needing to brandish a weapon and pull the trigger is extremely low. Depending on the stats looked at; of the hundreds of thousands, or even millions of crimes deterred each year because the attempted "Victim" had a gun; more than 90% of the time merely displaying the gun eliminated the threat and the BG ran away.
Now, there will be those that believe that they don't want to be in the 10% where the gun is actually used without some confidence. I agree. Make sure you have a high quality and reliable gun. Ok; that takes care of probably 90% of the last 10%; which means 99% of all times when a gun is used in self/home defense, you are taken care of. So, I guess for that 1% of the time (And I'm probably being very generous), where somehow either your primary gun didn't function or you were disarmed, you feel that a BUG "Back-Up-Gun" would be required. Well, under that same logic, I guess we should carry 3 or 4 guns just to increase our odds that I'll be able to get to a gun that works. If life scares a person so much that they need to carry that many guns, then nothing anyone says is going to change that. Yes, life is short. But just like I refuse to "Live to Work"; (I Work to LIVE); I also refuse to not enjoy life with what little time I have. I could just as easily die in a car crash tomorrow, heart attack, leukemia, or many other possibilities. I take a risk every day I wake up. I risk my life skydiving, scuba diving, riding my motorcycle, hunting, etc... The risk is called "LIFE". I cherish the risk and uncertainty. It allows me to appreciate life better.
I'm not going to carry a BUG. I carry the first gun; it's comfortable; it's not obtrusive; I don't even realize I have it on half the time. But it's there if I need it. And if I need more than what's there, then that's a risk I am willing to take. Personally, I've taught weapon training to military personnel. I keep telling them that a weapon (Gun) is just a tool. You DON'T PUT YOUR LIFE in the hands of a tool. You put your life in the hands of YOUR CAPABILITIES. Those capabilities include using tools such as guns. Also, marshal arts (Aikido), self defense training, being aware of your surroundings and staying away from trouble, intuition, etc.... My life is in MY HANDS. Not my gun's. So, if I was without a gun, I would have to use OTHER TOOLS to protect myself. That's why I don't carry a BUG. I have to balance life, inconveniences, fear, other people's feelings/rights, etc... There's times/places I don't even carry. When I do carry, it's only the one gun. I suggest besides carrying a weapon, that you learn some other skills/tools for self defense. The greatest tool is being able to enter into such a situation without panicking, paranoid, over reacting, etc... The first thing any true martial artist realizes after training; (Other than those martial arts that are strictly a sport); is that the MORE they learn, the LESS LIKELY they are to ever have to use it. And I've taught Aikido to senior citizens as well as 90 lb women. As the confidence level goes up, so does skills and tools to get you through the situations. Yes, there are times where a gun is the right choice. That's why I carry. And IF I have to pull out a gun, it won't be to scare someone away. I WILL pull the trigger if the BG hasn't immediately turned tail and ran off. Anyway, I guess my answer would be neither weak or strong side. I carry in the small of my back with a true ambidextrous holster that allows me to pull the gun out with either hand. And I don't need or want a back up.
Keep up your proficiency level so you can shoot adequately either gun from either hand.
