New York newspaper faces backlash after publishing map of gun permit holders

fox news ^ | 12/25/12 | staff

[Nachum]

A local New York newspaper is drawing the ire of its readers after publishing an interactive map that shows the names and addresses of thousands of residents who have handgun permits.

The online map was published by The Journal News along with an article under the headline: "The gun owner next door: What you don't know about the weapons in your neighborhood."

The newspaper obtained, and then published, the names and addresses of pistol permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The article, in explaining the decision to publish the information, pointed to the school massacre in nearby Newtown, Conn., and the concerns of some residents about which of their neighbors might have firearms.

[Las Vegas Dave]

WOW!

FYI pings.

[Magnatron]

Dallas59 wrote:

"The intent was to whip up gun hysteria. It failed. Got to hand it to the yankees though....some aren’t so against the 2nd amendment."

Exactly. As much as the media and the liberals would like everyone to think, this ISN'T a Democrat vs Republican or Left vs Right issue. Many, many left and Democrat types own, carry, and use all sorts of firearms - for all sorts of reasons including self defense.

This recent push on gun control could backfire on the advocates very quickly. I think there will be a level of hysteria promoted by the press in an attempt to change minds, but in the end, the legislation that passes will be greatly watered down.

...at least I'm hoping that will be the case.

[Mr. K]

Now THERE’s a great use of gun registration information!!

Aren;t you glad you complied?

On a side note... I bet these homes are side-stepped by criminals looking for easy targets

[sean327]

Thanks for the info. I have just posted this to all forums that I frequent.

[ozaukeemom]

I must be doing something wrong. I cannot see the comments.

[I want the USA back]

Let’s start a class action lawsuit. Sue the a$$ off the paper.

Also, having a permit doesn’t mean someone has a gun.

Sue their a$$e$ off.

[wita]

By the way, NRA memberships are really inexpensive... all of you people in Westchester and Rockland who are now about to be new gun owners ought to think about joining.

In the interest of fairness, reality, and price isn’t everything, let us ask a question.

What hunting and gun safety organization has been in being, and in support of every single heinous, anti-individual rights, anti-gun, anti-second amendment bill that has ever been signed into law by the Congress and President of the USA since NFA 1934.

Folks, it doesn’t take a genius or a rocket scientist to come up with the answer, and no amount of fluff can cover up the facts. The NRA is NOT and NEVER has been the protector of gun rights in this country. If anything they are part and parcel of the problem. You might begin to recognize some repentance if they ever stop giving democrat elected officials a rating and the time of day.

Just my humble opinion, based in fact.

[TomGuy]

Prospective burglers are thanking the newspaper, as they now know which homes to avoid (armed citizens) and which might be easy ‘pickens’ in the middle of the nights.

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

Here is a safe prediction - this move has shifted the odds towards greater rates of illegal ownership.
Basis of this forecast: Gun Restrictions Have Always Bred Defiance, Black Markets - J.D. Tuccille
http://reason.com/archives/2012/12/22/gun-restrictions-have-always-bred-defian/print
and this study referenced in the above posting:
GUN CONTROL AND THE REDUCTION OF THE NUMBER OF ARMS
http://www.anarma.org/descargas/documentacion/Gun-control-and-reduction-FCsaszar.pdf

The odds will shift even further in the wake of Governor Cuomo’s recent comments as otherwise law-abiding residents are reminded of previous use of registration records to confiscate the registered weapons in NY and CA:

“Maybe gun owners are getting more ornery as time goes on. Or perhaps they’re just getting more distrustful of the authorities. In fact, American gun owners may have good reason to be skeptical of common assurances that registration records won’t ever be used for anything more than tracking lost and stolen weapons. In New York City, the center of agitation for tighter U.S. gun laws, the registration system for long guns such as rifles and shotguns, established in 1967, was used in the 1990s to confiscate previously lawful semiautomatic rifles.”

“California state officials pulled a similar stunt, though with a shorter grace period. After the registration of so-called “assault weapons” subsequent to the passage of the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989, Attorney General Dan Lungren reversed official position in 1997 to declare one of the rifles considered legal and subject to registration just a few years earlier—the SKS Sporter—to be illegal. Owners who had complied with the law were forced to surrender their weapons or transfer them out of state.”

[Condor51]

*** Can’t we publish the names and addresses of journalists? ***

Sure can, for any of them that own a house. And in that small town I doubt many are renting Condo's or fancy apartments like if in NYC.

Thanks to Property Taxes, which is Public Information :-) - you can search a County's Treasurer or Assessor's website for any property, the taxes owed or paid, and the Homeowners name.

I can search my neighbors, and FReepers have searched the Crook County Assessor's office for Rahm Emanuel's house, OBAMA's and his TERRORIST Buddy -- Bill Ayers, and posted their addresses and property tax amount.

So these jackwagons at this hick news rag started something they won't like.

[paul544]

Sure we can, but we never do. We just sit back and take it like a $20 hooker. We continue to play fair and get our asses kicked constantly. Hoping beyond hope that righteous indignation will eventually win the day.

[adorno]

Somebody ought to borrow that idea to reveal names of the congresspeople and local officials who want to repeal the 2nd amendment, or to try to render it effectively useless through legislation or regulations.

Another list: let’s get the list of people who are dependent on food-stamps and on section 8 or welfare or any type of government program. That’s where the danger to the country lies. That’s where the country is being destroyed from the inside. To go along with that list, we need to get the names and addresses of those who advocate for heavy government dependency.

[null and void]

Found this:

Sam Malone
December 25, 2012 at 11:25 am
We who have been exposed by the National Enquirer of Westchester (a.k.a The Journal News) should apply en masse for FULL CARRY permits since we now can “demonstrate need”. If we are denied then a class action tort against Westchester County to demand issuance of Full Carry for all Westchester County Handgun Permit owners.

By placing a map with our personal information on the internet, the Gannett rag has given a shopping list to thugs, criminal mutts, amateur thieves, teenage wannabes and terrorists. Each and every time we leave our homes we never know what we’ll find when we return. Am I going to get accosted as I enter or leave my home? Will I find a gun to my head as I try to open my door? Will I have middle of the night visitors? What about my Aunt, whose house is identified, and whose husband died over 5 years ago and no longer owns his handgun? How do we protect her?

Boycott the JN, tell the businesses you patronize that you will no longer be reading nor buying that rag so they will be wasting their advertising dollars. It’s time for economic warfare against these “journalistic” whores.

Last but not least call all the numbers given and wish them a Merry Christmas from a 2nd Amendment supporter, who protects their right to abuse the 1st amendment.

I think this is a brilliant idea. The publication of personal information of these private citizens has indeed exposed them to a clear and present danger.

If the published apply for CC permits based on their data being publicized, and they are granted, the ones exposed by the so-called newspaper can also point out that this is unequal protection under the law...

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“I bet these homes are side-stepped by criminals looking for easy targets”

Or, which houses to watch until everyone leaves, and then go in and ransack looking for guns! No winners here.

[kcvl]

Dwight Worley

https://mobile.twitter.com/dwightworley

https://ma.twimg.com/profile_images/2705774416/cd89b9793cc23aa9963bb963b438b451.jpeg

[kcvl]

Dwight R. Worley is an education/urban affairs reporter covering central Westchester schools for The Journal News, The White Plains Express and LoHud.com. He also serves as a database reporter for the publications, using computer-assisted reporting techniques to develop a wide range of stories about diversity, race, immigration and how changing demographics have impacted the Lower Hudson Valley. He joined The Journal News in 1999 as a business reporter.

E-mail Dwight R. Worley at dworley@lohud.com

[grumpygresh]

Let’s see if a small group of protesters goes to these urinalists’ houses. Maybe some of the wrongly outed permit holders could go along with a patriot group and put it on YouTube.

[kcvl]

Dwight R Worley
23006 139 Ave
Springfield Gardens, NY 11413

But you might want to call him first to let him know you’ll be dropping in: (718) 527-0832

[ScottfromNJ]

Hopefully everyone on that list cancels their subscriptions to this liberal rag and boycotts any business that continues to advertise with it. From the look of the list there are tens of thousands of legal gun owners in Rockland, if everyone cancels their subscription they could put this rag out of business.

[SaraJohnson]

Far leftist antics always go over the top and victimizes and enrages everyone sooner or later. Weddings, funerals, Christmas, it does not matter; leftists will be the stinking turd in the punchbowl of human love and life.

They are so filled with hate and envy towards their fellow men, they can not help themselves.