Annapolis Capital Punishment

Almost six months ago, on Friday, January 18, I posted a piece titled,"Why Routine Traffic and Parking Violations Are So Serious" in which I discussed supposedly "routine" or "non-moving" traffic violations asserting that people who scoff at traffic and parking laws demonstrate anti-social behavior and a lack of respect for lawfulness--and this is widespread. Police are well aware of how "routine" violations often lead to the discovery of more serious crime. I then took a few items from a recent police crime watch report, complete with details of incidents and the names of drivers charged with violations to illustrate the point. So today, yes almost six months later, someone named "anonymous" sends me the following note, unedited and in its entirety:

"it is wrong to put peoples information on the internet just like that. it is so wrong."

Dear "Anonymous":

it is so wrong to send anonymous letters

it is so wrong to speed through our neighborhoods

it is so wrong to drive without a license

it is so wrong to run through stop signs and red lights

it is so wrong to drive while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs

Shall I go on? As if that is not enough to make my point, identities of people arrested and charged with crimes are a matter of public record. Plain and simple. The information I provided was already published in the city's crime watch reports and therefore was broadcast on 1430WNAV and in The Capital. Besides that, did it ever occur to you
that the ability of the news media to publish such information really protects everybody's rights?

By the way "anonymous," are you one of the people who was arrested for one of those violations? CP