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I’m 63 and when I was in 6th and 7th grade (elementary school - no “middle schools” back then), a lad in my tweens, I can recall riding Mrs. Baker’s bus to school with my friends during Dove season, all of us carrying our 410s and 20-gauges. Mrs. Baker was cool with that as long as they were unloaded.

At school, we lined them up neatly in the coat room and went to class where we started the day with the pledge to our flag and a prayer to our Lord.

In the afternoon, we collected our shotguns and walked home through the fields and while we seldom shot a bird, we did shoot at them and we never, ever shot each other, even though we sometimes had fist-fights on those walks - as kids were prone to do.

Now-a-days, if there is a flag and a pledge, there is also some “opt-out” or “take a knee” clause, and there are no prayers at all as God has been removed from our public schools. I’m as appalled at the school shootings as anyone, but it astonishes me when folks get bent out of shape, when after kicking God out, the devil comes to call. All I’m hearing from some, even most youngsters these days is that gun owners are “terrorists” and I’m a bad man and a “bitter clinger”. It’s time to do something for sure, but banning guns won’t save your soul.

“Haters gonna hate”, as evidenced by racist Nazi-boy Dylann Roof who murdered nine at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. If he hadn’t had a gun, he’d have used a bomb or a vehicle, a knife or his bare hands - and that kind of racist hatred, that leads one to murder fellow human-beings, be it with a rock or a gas chamber is born in ignorance, lies and “the Devil’s right-hand”. As I understand, the Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas actually had a “Gun-free Zone” sign at the entrance and I reckon those good Christians followed the rules. By the way, it was a neighbor who heard the ruckus and took the shooter down with a gun.

I won’t mention any names, but all my preachers carry in the pulpit along with a half-dozen deacons, ushers, some Sunday school teachers and most of the choir. Some are concealed and others open carry (including Yours Truly). A “shooter” brandishing a firearm wouldn’t have much of a chance making it across the parking lot, much less getting through the vestibule and just to clarify, Pastor has yet to shoot anyone by accident or otherwise.

I know that in this world, there is Good and there is Evil and I think most people accept that as far as it goes. You can call it “God” and “the Devil” and again, folks get the drift. I know that God is love - I’ve been blessed beyond anything I deserve. If Evil comes knocking, Good folk need to make a stand. Making guns illegal is as effective as that “gun-free zone” sign and if you demonize the Good folk that follow the rules and take away rights “imbued by our Creator” it just assures that Evil will win every time because Evil has no rules.