Posted on 07/28/2013 5:26:53 AM PDT by george76
The Associated Press (AP) is refusing to comment on why it requested that the Montana Department of Justice (MDOJ) give it a list of the names and personal information of every concealed weapons permit (CWP) holder in the state...
Montana’s Republican Attorney General Tim Fox had denied requests by the AP and a Boston media outfit called MuckRock News for all information pertaining to the state’s CWP holders. Fox cited concerns that the width and breadth of the requests violated CWP holders’ “reasonable expectation of privacy” guaranteed by the Montana Constitution...
AP reporter Matt Gouras formally requested the information on March 18. “We’d like all public information included on each permit holder, including, but not limited to: last name, first name, middle, street address, city, employer, age or DOB, driver’s license number, date of application,”
(Excerpt) Read more at mediatrackers.org ...
www.muckrock.com
About Us
Cofounder Michael Morisy is an award-winning journalist who has had worked featured in Business 2.0, the New England Center for Investigative Journalism, New York Daily News and many other national and local publications. He can be reached at Michael@MuckRock.com.
Cofounder Mitchell Kotler is a veteran of multiple high-tech startups including Achronix. He has a Masters in Electrical & Computer Engineering and a Bachelors of Science from Cornell University. He can be reached at Mitch@MuckRock.com.
News Editor Tom Nash was among the earliest MuckRock users, while serving as editor of hyperlocal news website Post Somerville. He can be reached at Tom@MuckRock.com. Mods; please pull if inappropriate
Why don’t they just get a mailing list of everyone that lives in Montana, since almost everyone in Montana has a gun.
Stories like this remind of why I oppose government releasing the names of people who sign petitions supporting or opposing a law or policy. Newspapers get ahold of this information and use it as a kind of blackmail, “outing” people who support policies they oppose. The practice of releasing the names is always done under the pretext of the public’s “right to know” who is trying to influence politics, but the practice harms politics by making people less willing to participate due to fear of exposure. It is tantamount to making one’s ballot public.
Then give us the reporters Medical Records! What they hey it is all public data now with Obamacare! Especially the STD's, Jock Itch Medicine, etc etc, let's have their stuff !
Indeed, it is sad times for the folks who were intimidated into being on a CWP list.
in liberal states maybe, but in MT? That is not likely to happen.
Pretty much. In South Dakota, people pull out their various state and out of states CCWs like trading cards while sitting at the bar. A few even consider them to be collections.
Matt Gouras. Another name for the list. It’s always good to know who your enemies are - that’s why he wanted the information in the first place.
Agreed. This is why I do not have a permit!
You raise a good point, indirectly. What if Al Jazeera asked for the same information? After all, they are a news organization, too, arguably more so than AP.
Or they could just mail it to the NSA and the Nazi sounding Homeland Security. I am sure they would be interested.
PRiCELESS!©
I think website ought to find and publish the addresses of these b@stards.
AGREED
It goes far beyond "outing" permit holders to make them social pariahs. Providing current addresses on people who have fled an abusive spouse, who have individuals who have made credible and ongoing threats to their well-being, or who have moved to escape stalkers and other freaks, places those individuals and their families at risk.
The crusade to 'socially embarrass' people could lead to their death or the death of their loved ones (or a situation similar to a recently overly reported perpetrator elimination).
At the very least, they would be in possession of a list of firearm owners, which, if published, would provide ready-made burglary targets for those inclined to stake out the residences for an opportunity to steal firearms.
One thing is certain, no good will come of such information in the hands of those who make their living revealing information amidst hype.
That’ll really play well in Montana. Yup. Montanans just hate gun owners./s
>> The MSM freely and actively promotes and abets a campaign of social terrorism against conservatives, especially gun owners and Christians.
bttt
Another great post.
AP: Because we’re communists bent on the destruction of America and all she stands for.
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