From: Noel Taylor
Columbus
There’s a problem with an Indiana code: The same language that protects children from predators appears to prevent the legally armed private citizen from protecting one’s self and others at church. As the law stands currently, any building which houses any kind of “school” activity, potentially even Sunday school and day care, is a school 24/7.
I’m told that Columbus Police Chief Jon Rohde knows this, and therefore would be likely to view as a felon anyone licensed to carry a concealed weapon who does so any time at church when he or she is not a sworn law enforcement officer.
With the recent events in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in mind, the NRA slogan “When seconds count, the police are minutes away” becomes understandable.
One would think that measures would be taken to clean up Indiana’s fuzzy language so that our churches cease being easy targets for armed intruders. Both my elected representative and my senator in the Indiana Legislature have been provided with a very simple sub-paragraph that, if added to IC 35-31.5-2-285, would resolve this issue. The language of the sub-paragraph, if enacted, would designate churches as not schools during evenings and weekends.
All it takes to communicate with your legislators is a letter or a phone call. I encourage every Indiana voter to weigh in on this issue with his or her elected officials. They are sworn to listen and vote accordingly.
