INCIDENT AT THE CHURCH
Jim Taylor
Our Church was located in a small mining town in the mountains of Arizona. The property was on the extreme edge of the community bordering National forest lands. We had our share of prowlers and vandals over the years and when late one night I was awakened by voices and loud music from the Church parking lot I grabbed a gun and went to investigate.
As I came onto the parking lot I saw a pickup parked near one edge, with the driver's door open and a young man standing at the rear of the truck, urinating on the Church grounds. This bothered me somewhat, and hiding the Colt .45 behind me in my right hand I approached the individual - after he had finished relieving himself. My intial approach was on the order of, "What the hell do you think you are doing?"
Without giving him much time to answer I began to tell him what I thought of someone who would urinate on Church grounds, who would wake a man and his family up late at night with loud music, and who obviously had no thought for anyone else beside himself. All the time I kept the handgun out of sight and watched the truck to make sure no one came out to join in.
The young man began to argue with me about how it was his right to party where ever he wanted to, whenever he felt he wanted to and as things began to heat up a bit the thought went through my mind that this might escalate into something serious. All the time I watched the truck to make sure none of his companions got out to join in. I also kept the gun out of sight. Then, when it was looking like it may go bad, the young man changed his attitude. He began to apologize, saying he was sorry for his actions and it would not happen again. Then he turned quietly, got into his truck and drove off without gunning the engine or spinning the tires.
I thought to myself, "Well, I backed him down without having to pull the pistol" and turned around feeling relieved and kind of proud of myself. There stood my wife with an 18 1/2" double-barreled 12 guage shotgun at port arms! It was no wonder he backed off and the other guys did not get out of the truck - but it sure wasn't me they were afraid of
(After I told John Taffin about the incident he sent me a bumper sticker which read "Never Mind The Dog- Beware of My Wife!")