yeah, I went the screen protector route with my first one, not only did it cause issues, I can't see how it would help at all. the screen of the kindle does not seem to lend itself to scratches.
my purse is kind of one of those "hobo" bags; one great gaping hole, so I need a cover there. when I've skied with it, it goes between the water bag and the back padding of my camelback so it probably has some good protection there, but it wouldn't be protected in a twisting sort of impact with just the silicone.
if the silicone works for you, awesome!
I think some of us feel we need a tad more protection when out and about