C was my first language, more than thirty years ago. I've heard (and probably myself made) the same arguments over and over and over. But those arguments are lame and wrong.

C cannot be made safe (at scale). It's like asbestos. In fact, C is a hazardous material in exactly the same way as asbestos. Naturally occurring, but over industrialized and deployed far too widely before its dangers were known. Still has its uses but it will fuck you up if you do not use industrial-grade PPE.

Stop using C if you can. Stop arguing other people should use it. There have always been alternatives and the opportunity cost of ecosystems continuing to invest in C has massive externalized costs for the entire industry and society as a whole.