From the Heartland

This is my soap box, on these pages I publish my opinions on firearms and any other subject I feel like writing about.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Anonymity

Some Bloggers blog under their given name while others choose to remain anonymous and blog under a screen name.

In the past I have been taken to task for blogging "anonymously".

Allow me to explain why I do.

Only to a certain extent am I anonymous. For the most part the people that I write about, such as the Mayor of Lincoln, the Chief of Police, Members of the city council and several state senators including the Honorable Ernie Chambers know me personally and know that I publish this website. Whether they read it or not is another matter altogether. As I mentioned in the previous post the Chief reads this blog.

Most if not all of those mentioned not only know my name, they have my address and phone number as well. I see several from time to time at public or social functions.

Even before I began this blog I was what might be considered a semi-public person. I have at least two award certificates that hang on the wall of my office, along with my instructors credentials, that were presented to me by the Mayor and the Chief of Police. Although I don't ever intend to, I have been approached and asked to consider running for the State Senate or County Commission.

Many of my local readers know me personally as well, heck we all show up at a lot of the same shooting contests.

When I started this Blog I chose to use a screen name because I didn't know if it was something I would maintain for any length of time. I was also aware of the inherent dangers of making ones identity know on the worldwide web. Yes I am concerned for the safety of my family, and rightly so.

In the nearly two years that I have been publishing this blog the response with one notable exception has been tremendous. As to the one notable exception I cannot comment on that at this time. Suffice to say that another person I know has an ongoing civil action (restraining order) for stalking against the noted exception. In this instance the use of a screen name has given me a certain level of comfort, and thankfully has also prevented me from having to take the same course of action.

Given all of that I believe I made the right choice when I started this Blog and still believe it is the right thing for me to do. I have decided that at some point I will have my name on my blog, but that day hasn't come yet.

I am proud of what I have done on this site and hope to continue for some time to come.

I know I have been very critical of some people in my writings and believe me they know who I am and what I have said whether they have read it here or not. That they know who I am is what is important to me.