Privacy Rights of Gun Owners?

[MikeyKahr]

For those of you that may have missed it, there's a fascinating discussion going on between the Illinois Attorney General's office and the Illinois State Police regarding the privacy rights of gun owners. Take a look at the link for more information:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/02/illinois-officials-spar-order-make-list-gun-owners-public/

[REACT]

If the state publishes a list of gun owners, Republican Rep. Ron Stephens said, "You are by design also publishing a list of everyone who doesn't" carry a firearm.

So, by default, every Illinois citizen is a risk by publishing this list.

Here's another discussion about the same subject from yesterday before anyone came forward to block this potentially deadly idea...

http://thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/03/robert-farago/il-ag-to-state-police-release-foid-names-addresses-to-ap/

I lived in Illinois while I attended high school and remained a resident while in the military to avoid paying income tax. The moment I retired, I automatically became a Colorado resident and in retrospect, I regret being associated with that wretched state for as long as I did.

[Dietrich]

It seems to me that publishing a list of gun owners and the types of guns they own would be a tremendous help for thieves.It would be like having a precise map to the location of exactly what they might be "shopping" for.What idiocy.

[CPO15]

My local paper published the Virginia list of CCW holders a few years ago; the most aggrieved persons were those who had obtained both a gun AND a protective order against a stalker or abusive spouse. What affected me, as a parole officer, were the home addresses of my co-workers and myself.

I felt my privacy was violated; just what the newspaper wanted.

This is typical of the liberal, anti-conservative media. The paper defended itself by claiming, correctly, that the list was public information. But, just because one CAN publish some information doesn't mean they SHOULD publish it.

[Longitude Zero]

But, just because one CAN publish some information doesn't mean they SHOULD publish it.

Amen to that. Several years ago the newspapers in my area wanted the DOB and SSN numbers of every cop in the state so they could publish it. Fortunteley the courts told them no. Also we demanded the same information of the journalists. They cried and moaned that since they were not "public figures" they were immune. They were wrong as determined by another judge.

Absent malice journalists have almost enfettered freedom to publish whatever they wish. Sadly in my state the legislature want to put a list of CCW holders on a .gov website. Opposition is slowly getting less and less every year.

[CPO15]

Thanks for the nod, Zero. One of the "unintended consequences" of the publishing of the list was that the reporter responsible for it had to call the Va. St. Police Bomb Squad to his home the following week due to a "suspicious package" on his doorstep: turned out to be something "mis-delivered" by UPS, but it demonstrates that he feared HIS actions may have ruffled some feathers....

[gkstemple]

The silver lining is that IL now has the chance to get "gun owner data" exempted from FOIA release, making it that much easier to get the legislature to "swallow" having the same No-FOIA-Release for their list of those authorized to carry a concealed weapon, WHEN they get around to passing that into law.

[Mits3kgt88]

Ugh...I'm glad that I had gotten my CHP last year. I didn't know that some idiot had published a list of permit holders in VA. How is it that he could compare CHP holders with sex offenders? That's ridiculous. Permit holders are law-abiding citizens who don't commit crimes. Sex offenders obviously did and still do. I don't see how making a list of permit holders and their addreses is ok to do. I understand that investivgative authorities have the right to know but not the general public! There are plenty of gangs and thugs out there that would be happy to get their hands on a list like that. Although some may suffer from dire consequences if they came to the wrong house while the permit holder is armed and prepared.

[jlottmc]

Or the flip side, a list of houses that are seen as easy pickins because there is little chance of running into a gun. Here in TX the law used to read that anyone could request the information from DPS if they had all they pertinent data (DOB, SS, etc), and DPS would disclose the presence of a CHL or not, while also sending a letter to the person requested on. Then long john silver's changed all of that. Now, that information is not released. This was one of a few events that have pretty much run CHL holders or anyone who would fight back out of that restaurant. Funny thing about that is they are owned by the same group that has KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and A&W, none of them are as rabid as long john's. Pizza Hut has a no weapons policy but around here after a couple of incidents don't enforce it. The legislature actually changed the law after the long john's stunts. Kinda funny that.