Handling of weapons requires good judgment

I want to echo the words of a letter writer (“Senator’s stance on gun issue shameful”) in reference to the “insane” thoughts of many who believe that allowing weapons — whether concealed or open — on college campuses is a good idea.

To think for one minute that every person who has a concealed weapons permit is qualified to safely assess a situation, act on that situation within a second or two, and be justified in doing so, is so unbelievable that I cringe just thinking about what could happen when a so called qualified individual uses that weapon on or near an institution with hundreds of other people around.

Where does it say an individual with a concealed weapons permit has to be trained in “shoot or no shoot” situations, as police are trained? Where does it say these people have to qualify semiannually or yearly with the weapon they carry?

Where does it show that people carrying a weapon even know when they are justified in using that weapon? Many accidental shootings happen because the people handling the weapons have no idea about safety, and are not in the proper frame of mind when holding these weapons.

If any reader wonders why I have these opinions, I will tell you that for 55 years I have carried a weapon legally in my line of work, and have had to use it several times. It takes a mature, sensible and alert frame of mind to shoot at someone, and you only have seconds sometimes to make that decision.

So do not think you are Wyatt Earp or Dirty Harry. Let the police handle the carrying of weapons.