It was no different in the mid-late 60’s-in the rural ranching area I grew up in, just about every pickup truck in the lot at the HS had at least one rifle in the rack during deer season because you’d either gone hunting early AM before school or you intended on going as soon as school let out-before I had a vehicle, I rode to school with an older cousin and both our deer rifles were in the rack if we were going hunting after school-the guns were not even noticed or commented on unless it was just to ask where the person was going to hunt-never was a school shooting...
My cub was on the rifle team at the rural school she went to in the 80’s-she was one of 6 girls on the team-still no school shootings there...
Thing is, back then, if you lipped off, acted up or decided you were “special”, teachers could bitch-slap you into the middle of next week.
My dad was fond of saying “Nothing like an ass-kicking to keep you humble.”
“Spare the rod and spoil the child.”
The one who said that knew what He was doing.