Newspaper sparks outrage for publishing names, addresses of gun owners

[puckstopshere]

(CNN) -- Aninteractive map showing the names and addresses of all handgun permit-holders in New York's Westches...

The interactive map published by the Journal News, prompting more than 1,300 comments as of Tuesday, allows readers to zoom in on red dots that indicate which residents are licensed to own pistols or revolvers.

"So should we start wearing yellow Stars of David so the general public can be aware of who we are??" wrote one commenter.

Some of those responding threatened to cancel their subscriptions or boycott the publication completely.

"I hope you lose readers now," wrote one.

The map came about in the wake of the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, according to a statement from The Journal News.

"In the past week, conversation on our opinion pages and on our website, LoHud.com, has been keenly focused on gun control," the newspaper's editor and vice president, CynDe...

The names and addresses of the two counties' permit-holding residents were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The website notes that the map does not indicate whether the residents own handguns, only that they are legally able to, and that the data do not pertain to rifles or shotguns -- which can be bought without a permit.

Still, hundreds of residents were shocked to see their information posted without their being notified. Some said the map will prompt burglaries because thieves are now aware of where weapons are likely located.

"Now everyone knows where the legal guns are kept, a valuable piece of information for criminals," a commenter wrote. "Why don't you do something helpful, like trying to find out where the illegal guns are kept?"

The Journal News argued that residents have a right to access information regarding weapon holders in Westchester and Rockland communities.

"Our readers are understandably interested to know about guns in their neighborhoods," Royle said in her statement.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/25/us/new-york-gun-permit-map/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

[puckstopshere]

Although I initially liked the idea, my opinion has changed.  Seems like a great way to tell the crooks where the guns are so they can steal them. 

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

Seems like a great way to tell the crooks where the guns are so they can steal them.

Absolutely

[valve37]

The RCMP didn't go nearly that far. They released a program to the Ottawa Citizen newspaper a few years ago such that one could enter the first half of one's postal code and find out what type of registered guns were in that area. Some may remember I posted it here. 

[brandeentertainment]

i think that is just a bad idea for sure but as far as people are about there info I bet 90% of them are on facebook giving out alot more info about themselves then this stupid little map ...

This might be something for Criminals to look at but I am pretty sure almost every other house in the US has guns so with a 1 and 2 odds criminals are likely to get guns in almost any house they go to ...

The News covers `a million stupid stories every year but fortunatly for them this world has went from what are we going to do to provide for our families to I wonder what justin beibers wearing..

No news company does any stupid story without knowing it's going to attract alot of people 

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

The Journal News argued that residents have a right to access information regarding weapon holders in Westchester and Rockland communities.

I would argue that they do not have a ‘right’ to know what is in someone’s home anymore than someone has a right to know how many diamond rings are in a home or how many big screen TVs, or the addresses of people with high horsepower muscle cars.

 Lets call a spade a spade here…..the printing of this information was a knee jerk reaction to what happened in Newtown. It was nothing more than sensationalist media pandering. It was a fear mongering invention for both increase in readership and increase in panic. It seems the old newspaper phrase.... ‘if it bleeds it leads’.... has become..... ‘if it’s not bleeding enough, make it bleed more’.

If a kid with a high horsepower muscle car drove it erratically and hit a bus which killed a bunch of school children….would they print the names and addresses of everyone who owned a high performance vehicle?

In our democracies we have a right to free speech….but not a right to yell fire when there is none, or insinuate in any way that because a gun is in a house (especially legally) that there ‘might’ be a future problem.