A (Mostly) Open Letter to Lucy Dalglish

Recently the Roanoke Times published the names and home addresses of 135,000 people who have a license to keep and bear arms. Lucy Dalglish supports their 'right' to do so on the basis that people who are granted a 'privilege' in this country by a government body.

Following her logic, I should be able to publish her name, home address, and photograph, because she has a drivers license and driving is a privilege. Keeping and bearing arms is a right...so it's only rational to assume that her privilege to drive should allow for the same thing...right?

Here is my letter to her regarding this issue. I have omitted her work address out of consideration for her safety.


Ms. Dalglish,

I recently saw your commentary on the publication of the names and home addresses of people who exercise their right to keep and bear arms by acquiring a license to keep and bear arms.

You said: “Who is licensed and who is given a privilege in this country by a government body is information that the public should be able to have.”

Following your logic, I should be allowed to publish your name and home address on a website. You almost certainly have a license to drive a car, and that is a privilege. We have the right to keep and bear arms just as much as we have a right to free speech and religion.

So – if I were to run a background check or title search (either are freely available on the internet) to find out your home address, would it be acceptable for me to publish it? As a media personality, I’m sure that you’ve upset some people in your time. I mean, your exercising free speech is as much of a privilege as the right to keep and bear arms…and if others can be exposed to threat for exercising their rights (what you call a privilege) then there should be a similar allowance for you as well, right?

I’d love to hear the logic behind your position. If you decide you’d like to reply, I can be reached at:



Thank you for your time,

Dennis Hughes