LETTER: Church shootings and guns

It’s not surprising that Review-Journal columnist Victor Joecks’ response to the latest church shooting is to call for all churchgoers to carry a gun (Friday Review-Journal). After all, Mr. Joecks’ response to all gun violence is to fight fire with fire.

But fighting fire with fire assumes that a fire was already started before anyone took action. Wouldn’t the more prudent action be to take steps to prevent the fire from starting in the first place? Yes, the head of the church’s voluntary security team saved lives by shooting the “evil and likely mentally ill” man, but two congregants still had to tragically die before any response was taken.

If churches are really concerned about the safety of their congregants, wouldn’t a better approach be to search congregants with X-ray equipment and metal detectors before they enter the church? Then church members would be able to pray in peace without worrying whether those packing heat were good guys or bad guys.

Or they can be like me and do their praying at home.