Editor:

There was no reason, journalistic or otherwise,to publish the names of CCW permit holders. In doing so you compromised the safety of all citizens of Humboldt County. The common criminal will now know with some degree of certainty which citizens are unarmed. The more aggressive criminal will know where to look for firearms. I am surprised and appalled that such information is publicly available.

You seem to make much of the fact that many permit holders are Republicans/Conservatives. To me this is not at all surprising, since Republicans tend to be self-reliant and unwilling to rely on the government for security.

Also you mentioned that not one of those interviewed had made use of firearms in an emergency. If you had interviewed me I would have related two instances where my use of a pistol saved me great personal injury and perhaps death. I am sure many will readily recall a recent incident where a man was attacked by a mountain lion. His wife bravely defended and saved his life. Nevertheless he suffered grievous injury. How different the outcome would have been if she had been packing a pistol instead of a ball point pen.

In the piece you mention an NRA publication. That publication, American Rifleman, contains a monthly column titled “The Armed Citizen,” which relates incidents wherein the armed citizen has protected life and property with the judicious use of firearms. Anyone is free to quote and/or reproduce those accounts. In the interest of fairness it would be a good idea to print all or at least some of those accounts.

Matt Morehouse, Eureka

*Sweet Spot: Matt Morehouse wins a Bon Boniere sundae for sending our favorite letter of the week.*