To Whom it May Concern;
Count me as a viewer of your wonderful show! I love Elementary. I love Sherlock Holmes. I have been watching this show since it began airing; it is currently my only “must watch” show every week. In the past, there have been negative comments about firearms in your show, both through misinformation and more directly from the characters at times, but I have always accepted it as a simple cultural difference between myself and both the NY based characters and/or the (presumably) more politically liberal show leadership. Your episode this week however (Feb 19, 2015) truly frustrated me for the first time. I felt there was a direct and overt attempt to create a political, anti-firearm message . . .
First of all, the handgun used was traced back to it’s point of sale by utilizing the bullet/case left at the crime scene. That is really not how ballistic science works in its current form, and more advanced forms of ballistic fingerprinting are simply not feasible and would be easily defeated by an intended evil-doer.
The one that really stuck for me was the obvious shot at gun shows in general (the non-background checked, perfectly legal because it’s a gun show, “Merica!” comment). A quick quote: “A 1997 Justice Department survey of more than 18,000 state and federal convicts revealed… 0.7% of criminals purchased a gun at a gun show.” (A URL for your reference: http://dailycaller.com/2013/
Allow me to also quote a prominent blog to clarify the legalities of gun show background checks (edited for length).
“…Not all people at gun shows with tables… are dealers. While dealers are required by law to perform background checks… private citizens who are selling their own collection to other citizens of the same state are not. These are the same rules that apply everywhere else. The only difference is that because these citizens have a table at the show, they may appear… to be the same as gun dealers… In other words, the EXACT SAME REQUIREMENTS for background checks exist at a gun show as anywhere else at any time. There is no difference.” (http://www.thetruthaboutguns.
I understand that you likely don’t care about my feelings that much, and I also understand that I will not be seeing any sort of retraction. My only hope is that if I give Elementary an extension of patience and continue to watch that you will refrain from making untruthful, pointed attacks against something that I appreciate, and in so doing allow me to continue to spend my time watching your show and the advertisements of those that support it. Don’t force me to abandon Elementary in the same manner I have Liam Neeson, Matt Damon, Mr. Schwarzenegger, and Mr. Stallone.
Your Faithful (for now) Viewer,
Justin