Loaded Firearms

Forgive my naivete, but do most states allow you to carry around loaded handguns on your person? I just discovered our state does and... ugh.

As I've posted here before, I'm not totally anti-gun. I don't believe the right to have a gun is something that should automatically be stripped from a person (along with a lot of other rights that ARE stripped from us).

But why - unless you have a particularly dangerous job - would you need to carry around a loaded handgun? In Vermont, you stand more of a chance of being molested by a moose than encountering someone you would require a gun to protect yourself from (I think). Although we have a surprisingly high murder rate, it's mostly among people who know one another. Another ghastly thought.