Good to hear your views on firearms, especially with firearm safety and that the firearm is not the first thing you go to for defense. I have been teaching "Use of Force", firearm safety and all disciplines of firearms from handguns to shotguns to tactical rifle to civilians, police and military for the past 15 years. One constant is that the average civilian does not fully embrace is the finality of what happens when using a firearm in a situation while the majority of professionals absolutely understand this.
The following page is something I put together to assist in teaching other instructors to lecture on firearm safety.
http://kevininstructor.home.comcast.net/~kevininstructor/FirearmSafety/FiveHabits.html
I have a short statement that embodies when you can use deadly force for civilians.
In order for deadly force to be justified there must be an immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm to yourself or other innocents. Deadly force is that force which could reasonably be expected to cause death or grave bodily harm.
Of course police use necessary force while civilians it's equal force.
My perspective in female and males in the realm of working in LE (Law Enforcement) is many times portrayed incorrectly to the general public in television shows and movies in that they are not capable of standing their ground but it the completely opposite with firearms when the are dedicated to being a true professional.
I have yet to be on the shooting line with police officers as a female but can say that it could go one of two ways and that all depends on knowing the attitude and mindsets of the officers' but can calculate it would not be an issue for me as I am well versed with firearms and have the experience to stand up, show techniques with a full size 1911, Glock 19 or revolvers.
The only thing males have over females is the average male build, nothing else.