^^The fact that they don't understand this is what baffles me the most. You could easily take it a step further and say that human kind is a blade dependent species. We simply would not have evolved to be here without blades. The knife is without a doubt the single most important tool in human history.
And yes, a SAK knife would likely induce a less severe response, and there's nothing wrong with that if that's the way you choose to go. We all love SAK's...
However, I for one will not change the way I live my life just because of the reactions of closed minded people. I do my best to be a good person. I am respectful and polite, I raise my kids right, I help anyone whenever I can, and I generally try to do the right thing. People can judge me by my actions and by my interactions with them. However I refuse to cater to those who would be shallow enough to judge me merely upon the fact that I possess something that they irrationally find objectionable. I will carry and use whatever I see fit however I see fit (no deep carry clips for me) and let the chips fall where they may. As long as we don't hurt anybody it is our right to do so, and I firmly believe that it is our duty to exercise our rights in order to preserve them.