I am replying to "Students wear holsters to protest" from Friday's Alligator. I understand many students might think twice about allowing concealed weapons on campus.
I hear many arguments, such as "I don't feel comfortable sitting next to someone with a gun," and "How will we know who is good and who is bad in the event of a school shooting like the Virginia Tech incident?"
"Concealed carry" means just that - concealed. Chances are you won't know you're sitting next to someone with a gun because they are using it responsibly and saving it for when it is truly needed.
Police are trained to arrive at scenes with good and bad shooters. They know how to identify the bad ones. Besides, if a "good guy" is armed, police probably won't have to go to a shootout because the situation would be neutralized.
The idea of the empty-holster protest (in which I participated) was to extend the concealed-carry license to college campuses. Licensed individuals can carry their weapons into malls, movie theaters and restaurants - but when they walk on campus, they cannot arm themselves.
In a time when people have to think twice about walking home, I don't think it's a bad idea to allow us, after completing a mandatory gun course and obtaining a state license, to carry firearms on campus to assure we don't become victims.
There is a difference between protection and vigilantism - concealed carry is for the former.
