Lawrence isn’t a violent felon or a stickup artist with a lengthy rap sheet. He’s not a drug dealer holding down the corner with a Glock tucked in his waistband, or a straw purchaser selling guns to street thugs.

He’s a Philadelphia church pastor and a robbery victim who routinely carries large sums of money and drives a nice car. So he applied for a gun permit last year for his personal protection.

“It’s not that I’m thinking God does not walk with me when I go places,” Lawrence said. “But anything could happen. We’re living in some bad times.”

The last thing he expected was for his request for a concealed-carry permit to make its way to the Drudge Report’s 1.9 million daily visitors.

Police initially denied Lawrence’s application – apparently due to a misdemeanor 40 years ago for which he served no jail time – but he was granted the gun permit in December after he obtained a letter from state police and appealed to the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections.

Then something strange happened: Over the summer , L&I posted on its website Lawrence’s full name, address and the specific reasons he wanted the permit – along with an interactive map to help users find their way to his doorstep.

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