Posted on 12/24/2012 5:01:47 PM PST by mandaladon
A newspaper in New York has received a wave of criticism from its readers after publishing the names and addresses of all of the individuals with handgun or pistol permits in its coverage area.
Hundreds of residents in New York's Westchester and Rockland counties were surprised to find their names and addresses listed on a map posted by The Journal News on Sunday. Users can click any dot on the map to see which of their neighbors has a permit for a gun.
The map sparked more than 500 comments from readers within a day of its appearance on the website, many of them voicing outrage at the paper's decision to make the information public.
"This is CRAZY!! why in the world would you post every licensed gun owner information?? What do you hope to accomplish by doing this. This is the type of thing you do for sex offenders not law abiding gun owners. What next? should i hang a flag outside my house that says I own a gun? I am canceling my subscription with your paper today!!!" said commenter Curtis Maenza.
"How about a map of the editorial staff and publishers of Gannett and Journal News with names and addresses of their families…," wrote commenter George Thompson.
All of the names and addresses were compiled through public records. The paper also requested the information from Putnam County, which is still compiling the records for publication, according to The Journal News' website.
In a statement to ABC News, The Journal News said its readers "are understandably interested to know about guns in their neighborhoods," because of the conversation about gun control on its website after the shooting in Newtown, Conn., last week. .
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
"New York's top public-records expert, Robert Freeman, disagrees," it added.
The paper declined to answer further questions about the map.
The MSM going nuts again.
An attempt to intimidate has backfired. Leftists always over-reach.
Did they also publish a map of all the illegal guns in the neighborhoods?
The only thing that thugs understand is hardball. And the best way to hit back at the media is through their advertisers. When a company finds that it is more expensive to support the paper than it is to find other ways to reach customers, they’ll respond by pulling their ads. So the best response is to boycott advertisers, and let them know that you are doing it.
War is Hell to Pay.
Yeah, the New York scribbler class are nuts.
Probably nothing the neighbors of these owners’ didn’t already know. The mass media doesn’t understand that you can be a gun owner and also be a good, friendly neighbor.
A silver lining here is that it will drive up the home prices in the neighborhoods where the residents have the most guns. Everyone will want to move there.
This guy:
http://christopherfountain.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/sauce-for-the-goose/
posted the name, address phone numbers and other info on the publisher and the reporter.
I don’t know who the guy is, but one would suspect he’s one of the people displayed in this reckless release of data.
Well, if they want it to be public information, that sort of makes concealed carry a moot point.
Since everyone knows you’ve gt a gun, then it follows you might as well wear it on your hip.
Hey! *They* are the ones making this into a Wild West Show.
It also makes bigger targets ofthe places that DON’T have guns.
Wow talk about backfiring...just read some of the comments.
Get the names of the editors and reporters. then get their addresses through real property tax and voting records (also available under FOIL). Hand them out to the local homeless as people who don’t believe in gun ownership. Let hijinxks ensue.
I wish our local paper would do that. I’d make sure my name and address were on the list and ask that they add that I’m a mean, paranoid psychopath and have a Rottweiler, too.
My front door welcome mat says, “Go Away”.
This is exactly why we cannot ever agree to gun registration.
Thanks for the link. I think I’ll send Janet a package of Christmas cookies on Weds when the post office opens.
Playing hardball would require more than bitching to their advertisors. And no offense intended but I seriously doubt you have the stomach for it.
What is registration, but a list? What do they do with the names from the background checks?
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