Publishing names serves no benefit

To the editor:

The Gazette editorial board recently pushed for publication of concealed carry permit holders in Iowa.

There are now more than 240,000 law-abiding citizens of the state who have passed background checks and taken at least one state approved instruction session allowing them to purchase a hand gun and have applied to their country sheriff and received a permit. That number continues to grow.

Most states and the District of Columbia have allowed concealed weapon permits, and Iowa honors those permits for people visiting in our state. The exact number of valid concealed carry permits nationwide is difficult to determine, but the number continues to grow.

Felons and those with restraining orders for domestic abuse cannot pass the background checks. They may still carry concealed, but will not be on any list of legal concealed carry permit holders. There are stiff penalties in the law for those individuals should they be found to possess or to be carrying a gun.

My question is, who will benefit and in what way, if the names and addresses of law abiding citizens of the state who hold concealed carry permits are published by The Gazette or any other newspaper? It seems it might be more useful to comb other governmental records and publish the names and addresses of felons, convicted sex offenders, and those where restraining orders have been issued by the court if the intent is to 'warn citizens” of possible public safety issues.

Albert E. Cram

Iowa City