Limited access

Your March 12 editorial “Aim for openness” calling for public access to gun permit records demonstrated a surprising lack of rational thought.

The last thing a homeowner wants a potential home invader to know is whether the home has weapons. Think about the criminal’s point of view. A burglary of an unoccupied home will more likely be profitable if there is a gun to add to the loot. A home invasion of an occupied home will more likely be safe and profitable if it is unarmed. A home invasion of an armed home will be done fast and violently to overwhelm the victims before they can get to their weapons.

The safest situation for homeowners is to have the weapon status of homes unknown. An unarmed home will be safer because the criminal has to think that it might be armed. An armed home will be safer when the criminal hears “hands up or I’ll shoot” before he can subdue the victims.

The only people who will benefit from public access to gun permits are the criminals because it helps them choose their victims and tactics. Law enforcement should have access, but not the public.

George Reeves, Raleigh