I have that exact same 38 under the pillow next to me at night. The surrounding neighborhoods are getting a little rough. In fact there is a gun in almost every room, not counting the 9mm in my purse.
My theory is, when you need one, you don't have time to go looking for one. I know how fast things can go bad. It's not that I am afraid to die, it's more that I want to get a little pay back before I go.
If you were Theresa Kerry, you'd need hundred's of handguns. For the rooms. If she's a Marcos clone, purses rather than shoes, thousands.
For home defense, I still think a shotgun is best. There's a Mossberg short barrel pump next to my dresser and I carry a S&W .40 everywhere else. Especially under current circumstances, we cannot allow anyone to get into a position of power who would limit carry rights in any way; in fact, we need to push all the harder for expansion of interstate reciprocity as well as opening up states like Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois. I carried when it wasn't legal and where it wasn't legal and it's my opinion that citizens should ignore laws that prohibit delf-defense or defense of family, but it is a lot easier when you can just go ahead and get a permit. "Peace Through Superior Firepower"