I am the gun owner. I am aware mine is an instrument of death, that it can do harm untold. In taking it in my hand, I pledge that rather than using it for evil, I will use it for good. And, I know that if I am to use it differently than the criminal, I must be of a different mindset.
If he joys in death, I will not. I will mourn any death I might bring.
If his tongue boasts of those he falls, mine will lament.
If he laughs at those he kills, I will cry.
If his heart is full of wrath, mine will not be.
If he sees the gun as a tool of vengeance, I will see it no more than a tool of defense. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to me.
If he searches and aches for opportunity to use the gun, I will shun its use. Seeking someone to kill is not a part of me. With each of my bullets, comes a tear. I will have my gun ready, and will look for places it is needed to bring safety to others, but I will not seek to justify its use when its use is not necessary. I will not bend that which is right till it becomes that which is wrong. I will not justify a crime in the name of justice. I will not kill, if killing is not necessary.
If the criminal seeks a victim, I will seek that none should become my victim.
In taking this gun in my hand, I will be mindful that my hand can become soiled, if I let it.
In taking this gun in my hand, I will not lower my morals to the those of the criminal. Rather, my values will remain high, and I will raise them to reach the standards a good gun owner must reach if he is to remain unsoiled.
In taking this gun in my hand, I realize that while the aim of my shot is important, the aim of my heart is even more important.
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