www.roanoke.com

Editor's note: The volume of response to our decision to publish an online database of concealed carry holders in the state was overwhelming. We cannot possibly publish all the comments, most of which made the same points. So, we are publishing this representative sample of the letters we received.

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Christian Trejbal states in one paragraph that the article is neither for nor against gun ownership, and yet he questions legitimate gun ownership at the end of the same paragraph. Can he not make up his mind?

Trejbal's assertion that a concealed gun permit holder is allowed to put a gun into the glove compartment of an automobile shows how little he knows about the subject.

The permit to carry a concealed handgun stipulates that it must be "carried" on the person. Storing the gun in a glove box of a car is a recipe for arrest under the current statutes.

This writer is presenting his own opinion and prejudices, as well as a quite remarkable ignorance about the subject he is discussing.

True newspaper journalism requires one to report the facts accurately (who, what, when, where and how) and allow the reader to make up his or her own mind.

Instead, we are being spoon-fed a carefully crafted pretense with only limited information (or misinformation) to guide us to a predetermined conclusion. This is not journalism; it is propaganda.

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"Should gun data lists be muzzled?" discussed a controversy that arose when The Roanoke Times posted a list of everyone in Virginia licensed to carry a concealed weapon. After reading at length, I was left with a question: Why did The Times post the list?

Was it to prove that they could do it? Of course they can. They broke no law.

Was it to show the disdain thatTrejbal has for gun owners? I hope not. Or was it to create a controversy?

Can we expect future lists such as all the environmentally insensitive SUV owners?

The Apostle Paul might have been speaking of the press' right to print when he wrote, "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify."

I find it interesting that the media is concerned about a citizen's right to privacy unless they are the ones doing the invading.

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Trejbal's column attempts to instill unnecessary fear into the general public about concealed handgun permit holders.

The column does not address the steps involved in obtaining a concealed handgun permit and that the citizens who have these permits are some of Virginia's most responsible and law-abiding citizens.

Citizens obtaining a concealed handgun permit need to fill out an application, which requires an extensive background check, and provide proof of demonstrated competence, such as a firearm training course, before being issued a permit.

Having a concealed handgun permit is a big responsibility. The permit holder must follow a long list of laws in order to carry a handgun. As a gun owner, you must rise to a higher level of responsibility.

Most concealed handgun permit owners exceed the minimum training by practicing regularly, staying current on important issues concerning guns and laws, and taking advantage of additional training programs.

The steps are extensive.

I do not have exact numbers, but I would venture to say that very few gun crimes are committed by concealed handgun permit holders.

The Roanoke Times and Trejbal would better serve readers by printing articles that are better researched and that tell the facts from both sides.

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I hope I can now look forward to The Roanoke Times to get off the holier-than-thou routine when expressing shock and dismay of the so-called violations of people's rights in the pursuit of terrorism, or the right of a president to terminate any U.S. attorney that he wishes.

It is obvious you have no real interest in the "rights of the people."

The Times stepped all over the rights of 135,000 Virginia citizens and pulled the list only after the uproar.

What kind of thought process and discussion went into the decision to publish the list in the first place? Who do you have sitting around making this type of boneheaded decision?

Any reasonable person would have said, "Hey, people, what might be the repercussions of this decision? How do you think this will sit with our readers?"

That's part of the problem at The Times. Your editorial decision-makers all think alike. You need someone on that board who isn't afraid to voice a different, even unpopular point of view.

If such a thing had been done by conservatives, you would be demanding that heads roll. Which heads at The Times are on the chopping block? Let me guess. None.

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I think The Roanoke Times should apologize to Virginians in general and the New River Valley in particular for its arrogant and elitist column by Trejbal.

The column is shocking in its lack of understanding of the commonwealth's gun laws. In the commonwealth, an individual has a right to a concealed carry permit unless that person's conduct has rendered them ineligible for a permit.

People who have concealed carry permits are law-abiding citizens. To suggest that holders of concealed gun permits should be "mapped" like convicted sex offenders is reprehensible. The entire column suggests the community at large needs to keep an eye out for these individuals.

To compare law-abiding citizens to individuals who have been convicted of a felony reveals a gross misunderstanding of the laws.

I have written the attorney general asking for an opinion whether the Virginia State Police erred in releasing the database to The Times and whether any privacy laws have been broken.

For The Times to use the power of the First Amendment to invade the privacy and vilify ordinary private citizens who seek to the use power of the Second Amendment for their own personal protection is reflective of the decline of journalistic decency.

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It was Sunshine Week and time to tweak big government for a peek at what's under the rug.

Trejbal and The Roanoke Times editorial staff bathed in the light of superior understanding and gleefully kicked off the show with a new angle of attack on legal gun ownership.

The Times' "gift" of presenting the list of Virginians owning concealed carry permits is nothing more than another effort to demonize responsible "gun-toters."

Trejbal is afraid the state hands permits to convicted felons, though he neglects mention of the mandatory submission of full fingerprints, a state police background check, and completion of a certified firearms safety course before one is even considered for approval.

These are the most honest and responsible people one could know, yet Trejbal feels that this personal choice should be published as openly as the sex offender database.

The Times' crusade to terrorize the public with slander and deceit by associating the worst perverts known with legal firearms ownership has sunk to a new low.

The statement "This is not about being for or against guns" is a lie written by a coward oblivious to the obligations of being a responsible citizen.

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Trejbal's column is probably one of the most magnificent examples of irresponsible journalism I have ever read.

My name and address are public information, but I do not expect to see them printed in an online newspaper for the world to see with the announcement that I have a legal right to carry a concealed weapon.

I do not subscribe to your newspaper, nor will I ever after this inane column.

Are there not enough criminal activities to gather fodder to write about? Is your newspaper really so pathetic that it would resort to publishing a piece that exposes law-abiding citizens as if they were criminals?

I cannot tell you how upset and disgusted I am. Trejbal and The Roanoke Times owe the citizens of Virginia an apology. It will not erase the violation felt of having this information published in such a way, but it will go a long way in showing how much -- if any -- integrity this writer and newspaper have.

I will defend your First Amendment right to my death. But I expect that you will use this right responsibly and not trample mine in the process.