To the editor:

After reading the article in the May, 14, 2014, Star-News about the comments made by the candidates for sheriff of Covington County at the forum held Tuesday night (May 13, 2014) I think that we need to look deeper in the subject of ‘right to carry’ firearms. Absolute ‘right’ is one thing, but even if you have the ‘right’, it may not be in the best interest for you, as an individual, because of a lot of extenuating circumstances. We all have a ‘right’ to drive, hunt, even fly an airplane – but not without a license. The reason is clear – if you don’t have the knowledge or know-how, you haven’t got any business doing it. That’s the reason for a license for anything that involves responsibility.

Our present sheriff is right on target that individuals who carry a firearm need to have a permit that is issued by his department that has the ability to investigate and do a background check on that individual who may not have been convicted of a felony, but other actions would not be in the best interest of the general public for that individual to carry a weapon.

 

Sincerely

Bayne Petrey

Andalusia