As far as the Bank of America and guns, and if this would be true. As a private business they are free (or should be) to choose what type of services they want to offer and/or not offer. Consumers are equally free to choose to do business with them or not.

As to credit cards, IMO they are actually good to use because of the buyer protection that comes with it. If you make a purchase and get ripped off you can most often challenge the charge and the cc company will issue a charge back and you will receive credit. Of course it has to be a legitimate reason and not just because you are unhappy with your purchase decision. If you pay cash your only recourse is to try and take them to court.

Also as mentioned many cc will offer rebates for every purchase you make which is another benefit. We get 1% everything and even a higher % on some additional categories like gas etc on one of our cards.

The real problem with credit cards is when people are not disciplined and use them to buy things they can't afford in the first place. If you can afford something and pay of your cc bill in full each month, IMO it is wiser to use a cc for any major purchase.

Debit cards are another story, I don't think they are not a good idea. If you experience fraud the money is drawn directly from your account versus receiving a bill you can dispute when using a credit card. Sure you may be able to recoup much if not all of the fraud but it is still a nightmare to have you checking account wiped out or drawn down while sorting it all out.