To the editor:

My family and friends have always included hunters, law enforcement people and Second Amendment rights advocates. I am not against guns.

However, I think the idea of arming teachers is terribly wrong and misguided. I think this because the advocates seem, generally, not to realize the responsibility in having a firearm.

First, the weapon needs to be secured. That means the right sort of holster rig and clothing that allows the shooter access but denies it to someone else.

Then it needs to be secured at school –police have lockers, but the lockers are in police stations. They aren’t open to the curiosity of teenagers, some of whom can be gang members.

They need to be secured in the car and any other vehicle, and they need to be secured at home. My favorite cop has a locked room with a specially locked cabinet, and the children are trained never to step into that room. Not everyone has that kind of space or money.

Then people need to be trained, not just in shooting, but in the law of permissible shooting and weapons retention. This training needs to be repeated regularly, and they need to go to the range to keep their skills sharp.

For heaven’s sake, let’s look at real ways to protect our children.