Buying a gun means that you're buying into the culture of fear and crime that exists in that neighborhood. You're becoming one of them.

That is pure BS. So are all cops one of them too? Becoming one of them means stealing, raping, and murdering. Owning a gun doesn't make you a criminal.
Some people's philosophy is to run and hide from criminals, then call the cops and hope they get lucky and catch the perps one day. This only empowers the criminals and makes their job that much more easier. You should stand against and fight people who do wrong instead of just letting them walk all over you and then putting the burden on a few people with a badge to stop them. To do this, you need the right tools. Criminals won't risk their lives to steal your tv. The more armed and honest citizens there are in a community, the safer it will be.