Dearest reader - I'm not obsessed with guns. I promise. Although, OK, my body of work’s been a little gun-heavy lately.

But why not, after all? Guns capture our spirit as Americans. But they’re also divisive. A gun is the rugged individualism you can hold in your hand.  In South Carolina, where the mistrust of government is almost palpable, the 2nd Amendment is like a patron saint to some. Yet, if you look it up on Wikipedia, you’ll see it’s a disputed entry.

That said – Readers, how much pleasure do we get when we read about that 99-year-old granny who blasts the be-Jesus out of a home intruder with her shotgun? Be honest, folks.

Still, the most thoughtful people are the ones who don't mind nuance. They understand that comparing freedom of speech and freedom to bear arms is not an apples-to-apples.

As much as we might like the thought of grandma, setting down her knitting needles long enough to smoke the fool who creeps into her home, there are far more tragedies than granny legends: Tomorrow is the 10-year anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre.

 I was telling my significant other, Nate, about a bill, S. 593, that Sen. Shane Martin, R-Spartanburg, introduced. His bill would allow guns on school property, as long as they were stashed in a locked or attended vehicle.

The way Martin saw it: “I’ve talked to lot of teachers that do have concealed weapon permits. They cannot carry their weapon to and from school because of where they work.”

Nate also showed me the benefits. In his view: Lots of people carry their firearms on them at all possible times. Isn't it safer to have the gun under the permit-holder's supervision, rather than forcing him to leave it at his office or some other place while he drives to school to pick up his child?

Besides, argued Nate, plenty of people have probably already been breaking the current law banning guns. Who’s enforcing it? You don’t hear about random mini-van searches.

Well, that's not the way the S.C. Department of Education sees it: “We understand the convenience issue, but we have concerns about the bill,” spokesman Jim Foster told me. “For years the rule has been no guns on school property, period. It’s hard to see how relaxing that rule will make kids safer.”

So what do you think, dear reader? Should we allow guns on K-12 grounds, as long as they're kept inside a vehicle? Or are we inviting trouble as guns appear to surge in popularity? Should we worry that someone would break into a car parked in the visitor lot and bring the weapon into the classroom?

Tell me, too, if you've been inconvenienced by the current law that requires you to drop your gun off before you go pick up your child or attend a parent-teacher conference.