This bears reminding and we should all be aware of where local, state and national registration and accompanying firearm ownership databases can lead. These databases can be subject to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) and the information can be released depending on the laws and the whims of courts and then made public in creative ways.
So a trip down memory lane. Many will remember this...
In December 2013, a newspaper in NY state called The Journal News used the FOIA to obtain the names and addresses of gun permit holders in two NY counties and used this database to publish an interactive map on its website showing where these permit holders lived complete with names and addresses. The title on this newspaper's web page was “Where are the gun permits in your neighborhood?”
This was met with objection and complaints from firearm owners all over the country and especially from many of those on the list who were horrified and felt their safety and privacy had been compromised by this irresponsible and invasive outing by an anti-gun newspaper.
After a flood of angry complaints and letters, the newspaper's editor went to the police fearing for her own safety but the police did not see any credible threats. So then the editor and newspaper executives hired their own armed security guards. How's that for hypocrisy?
Within a few days, some pro-gun bloggers returned favor and published online maps showing names and addresses of the employees of The Journal News. “Where are the Journal News employees in your neighborhood?”
The Journal News gun permit map has since been removed but the fact that it happened to begin with should serve as an example of what will happen if a central registration list is allowed to begin.
Anytime I hear about proposed additional gun laws, I try to make the steps from that proposal to the creation of an inventory list in order to enforce it. In regard to background checks and transfer records for private sales, if you knock down the dominoes you will end up with a federal firearm ownership database if such a law is to be remotely enforceable. Unless an ownership database is created, such law would be voluntary.
And we know where firearm databases lead because a NY state newspaper already showed us the light. Thank you, Journal News.
This is why we must hold tight and insist on the enforcement of laws already on the books instead of allowing additional laws to be instituted. No more.
So a trip down memory lane. Many will remember this...
In December 2013, a newspaper in NY state called The Journal News used the FOIA to obtain the names and addresses of gun permit holders in two NY counties and used this database to publish an interactive map on its website showing where these permit holders lived complete with names and addresses. The title on this newspaper's web page was “Where are the gun permits in your neighborhood?”
This was met with objection and complaints from firearm owners all over the country and especially from many of those on the list who were horrified and felt their safety and privacy had been compromised by this irresponsible and invasive outing by an anti-gun newspaper.
After a flood of angry complaints and letters, the newspaper's editor went to the police fearing for her own safety but the police did not see any credible threats. So then the editor and newspaper executives hired their own armed security guards. How's that for hypocrisy?
Within a few days, some pro-gun bloggers returned favor and published online maps showing names and addresses of the employees of The Journal News. “Where are the Journal News employees in your neighborhood?”
The Journal News gun permit map has since been removed but the fact that it happened to begin with should serve as an example of what will happen if a central registration list is allowed to begin.
Anytime I hear about proposed additional gun laws, I try to make the steps from that proposal to the creation of an inventory list in order to enforce it. In regard to background checks and transfer records for private sales, if you knock down the dominoes you will end up with a federal firearm ownership database if such a law is to be remotely enforceable. Unless an ownership database is created, such law would be voluntary.
And we know where firearm databases lead because a NY state newspaper already showed us the light. Thank you, Journal News.
This is why we must hold tight and insist on the enforcement of laws already on the books instead of allowing additional laws to be instituted. No more.
