Nine church goers (just like you and me) were killed and gun supporters say: “See, if someone at that church meeting had a pistol they could have shot the guy!”

And, if patrons leaving a bar had to take a breathalyzer test before proceeding to drive away think of the lives which could be saved by impounding the keys of those who failed the test.

Or, to reduce sexual assaults on campus all male students should be fitted with a chastity belt and rules established for key retrieval.

To diminish harm done by legislators we could require them to receive a passing grade from a board certified psychologist validating their honesty and integrity.

There are all kinds of steps which can be taken in order to protect us from this or that. When bad things happen a proper balance must be struck between prevention and the wish, the need to live and function in a free society. I do not wish to go into church on Sunday morning and sit beside someone carrying a pistol in their pocket. That would be the antithesis of everything I believe as a Christian.

I see no redeeming qualities in the NRA’s position of a gun for every occasion coupled with easy access. This is not my idea of a “well-regulated militia” as stated in the Second Amendment. “Regulated” has to have meaning in spite of what the gun lobby would have us believe.