Dear Hearts and Gentle People

I'm appalled and dismayed, as I'm sure you are, at the recent Northern Illinois University shooting rampage that killed seven students and injured many more. It seems there is just no end to the violence perpetrated against innocent people, adults and children alike, in our public schools. Names of small towns like Columbine, Jonesboro, and Pearl are etched in our minds because of unspeakable acts committed there.

Last April a crazed gunman killed 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech University where a former Lincoln County High School student was in his first semester. Brandon Barden was in close proximity to the shootings but fortunately was not harmed. Sane, rational people find it hard to fathom such cruelty. It makes no sense.

And it makes no sense to try and figure out just why some deranged individual would do such a thing. We spend countless hours, money, and manpower trying to figure out the mind of a serial killer, as if some poor teacher could predict which of his students is capable of committing atrocious crimes in the future.

It isn't possible. I worked in the elementary school for fourteen years and, trust me, I have seen some little mama's darlings that I would have sworn would have their pictures on a post office wall someday. I've had days I've thought that about my own. Then again, I've seen students who were sweet as pie and even voted Apple of our Eye who have spent more time in court than the District Attorney.

After all is said and done, we are left scratching our heads and wondering how in the world we can prevent such tragedy from ever happening again, maybe even closer to home. I have my own ideas and they don't include blaming everything from video games to horror movies for violence in society. And, in case you're wondering, I do not believe the answer is across-the-board gun control.

The facts are clear on guns. Guns do not kill people anymore than pencils cause misspelled words or forks cause me to be fat. People kill people. It's that simple. Trying to figure out "why" little Johnny went beserk is futile. Protecting our children while they are at school is not. It isn't only possible, it's imperative.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and please don't send me hate mail, but I firmly believe a teacher should be allowed to have a gun at school (in a secure place) if they have qualified for a concealed weapon permit. That goes for adult school patrolmen as well. No one should have anything to fear from this except someone with evil intentions. (As for gun laws, we have tons of them on the books as to the purchase, ownership, and use of firearms that are not being enforced so, in my opinion, dreaming up more is unnecessary.)

Just for the record, two of the school shootings that happened in recent years were stopped by civilians with guns. In one of the cases, an assistant principal of the school had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. He kept that weapon in his car during school and parked his car off school property so he wouldn't violate any gun laws. When the shooting started, he ran a quarter of a mile to his car, got his gun, ran back to the school, and held the criminal for the police.

In another case, a passer-by heard gunshots at the school. He grabbed the gun he kept in his car, ran into the school and stopped the gunman before he could shoot anyone else. Study after study has shown that when law-abiding citizens with legitimate permits are allowed to carry firearms for their protection, crime rates go down. I repeat, law-abiding citizens.

I wish with all my heart that the times in which we live were safer, that life could be like the fictional Mayberry and that Sheriff Taylor and Barney Fife were all we needed for peace to reign supreme in our little town. That isn't likely to happen, however. Times, like it or not, have changed. Some changes, to be sure, have been for the good, way too many have not. Consider the following account of forty-year's worth of societal changes sent to me by a former LCES kindergarten teacher:

SCHOOL - 1957 to 2007:

Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot, with shotgun in gun rack.

1957: Vice-Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2007: School goes into lock-down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight at school.

1957: Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2007: Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrest Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class; disrupts other students.

1957: Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the principal. Returns to class, sits still, and does not disrupt the class again.

2007: Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has disability.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in a neighbor's car and his dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1957: Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.

2007: Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she herself remembers being abused and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957: Mark shares aspirin with principal out on the smoking dock.

2007: Police called. Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1957: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

2007: Pedro's cause is taken up by the state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action suit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.

1957: Ants die.

2007: BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism; FBI investigates parents; siblings removed from home; computers confiscated; Johnny's dad goes on terror-watchlist and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mrs. Scott. Mrs. Scott hugs him to comfort him.

1957: In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2007: Mrs. Scott is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in state prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

Remember, dear hearts, the words of Edmund Burke, 18th century statesman and philosopher: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

[Any angry letters-to-the-editor with reference to this article may be mailed to: Sheriff Andy Taylor, 122 Main Street, Mayberry, N.C. 78452.]