To the Editor of the Herald Times,
This letter is in reference to your creating of a database showing information about gun permits. What did you hope to accomplish when creating this database? Here are a few points that I don’t think you considered that I would like to point out to you:
1. Many who own guns do not have a hand gun permit; I am one of those people. Monroe County is a fairly rural county, and is home to many hunters. Your database really accomplishes nothing as far as showing where guns are in the city or county.
2. If I were a criminal, I would use your database to at least see what streets may be easier to target than others. This database would allow a criminal to plan his/her operations around what streets may have better protected homes than others.
3. Your database opens the door for the segregation of gun owners. I know some will take this as an extreme, but let’s look at a potential consequence of your action. Bloomington is overwhelmingly left-leaning. Those that may not agree or think the same as the majority of elected officials should not be singled out, labeled and segregated from those that do conform to the same beliefs as those that hold the majority in Bloomington and Monroe County. The names printed in your database are following the law, and should not be treated as if they have done the opposite.
The HT is a power in Bloomington and you are using your power and authority to push an agenda. What other reason did you create such a database? In pushing your agenda, you are adding to the growing push by those closed minded people among us who feel that all people should be exactly like them.
We are still America, and we still have the right to choose to live our lives as we see fit. Shaming those that disagree with your papers’ clear stance on gun ownership is sad and disappointing.
What would the HT say if an independent news site in Bloomington were to create a database listing all business owned by a particular minority? I have no doubt the HT would write a damning article about such a database, and the people of Bloomington would fight against it. It would be heralded by the entire community as fighting for the rights of the minority. How is your database any different?
Sincerely,
Jeff Scherschel
jeff@votescherschel.com
www.votescherschel.com