Information about myself, or my family, that I make available on this blog, or social media, is MY choice. I fully understand the downside, the consequences; what I share is entirely with my discretion. That being stated, and with direct reference to the reprehensible actions of our local newspaper, The Journal News, in publishing personal data on legally-registered gun owners in Westchester/Rockland counties in New York, turning then to demand the same info from Putnam County, frankly, it’s “game on” against this rag of a publication and its editors.
The ironic part of this situation is that the so-called “journalist” responsible for writing the article, Dwight Worley, is himself a registered pistol permit holder, who owns a Smith & Wesson 686 .357 Magnum and has had a residence permit in Queens, New York for that handgun since February 2011; Worley had no problem in spearheading the news release that put thousands of residents in other New York counties, in peril.
Not one of my friends or blog readers has to agree with me on the subject of firearms, that is your personal choice; mine is to project the educated, legal and responsible side of being a gun owner, a Pistol Safety Instructor and a Range Safety Officer. The Journal News, twice in six years, has elected to portray the gun-owning community as criminals by abusing the FOIL, for solely commercial purposes, in publishing names and addresses of permit holders, including maps of the neighborhoods where these citizens live. Many of these citizens are law enforcement individuals; many are people with Orders of Protection who are legal gun owners. As much as the Gannett newspaper chain is seeking to justify their actions, thanks to Dennis Sant, Putnam County Clerk, who recently, adamantly, refused requests from The Journal News to hand over data on permit holders here in Putnam, the newspaper is now being legally challenged.
This is NOT about the Second Amendment; this is NOT about guns. It is about the violation of personal privacy and subsequent personal safety; it is about how the FOIL is used…and abused.
While I stand with everyone who feels there needs to be more refinement in just who has access to firearms/types of firearms, more intensive background checks/mental screenings, plus extreme firearm safety education, I firmly stand against anyone who violates the personal safety of a law-abiding citizen in any community.
As such, I’m asking everyone to please cancel any subscriptions to The Journal News, either newspaper delivery or on-line access to the publication…as well as anything published by the Gannett Company chain.
Keep in mind that, at any time, your personal information can be made public should this, or any, publication decide to run an article, on any subject, using the FOIL as their gateway.
Please… Boycott The Journal News, Boycott…the Gannett Company and…Boycott any Advertisers from these publications.
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.» – Benjamin Franklin
My husband and I were in shock when we heard about the newspaper that did this! So disgraceful! If we lived there and didn’t own a gun we would have probably gone out to buy one for protection!
Having gone through this six years ago when the newspaper ran an article about the inability of New York State to track gun owners, it was obvious that this newspaper had an agenda. Don’t get me wrong, I am behind anything that keeps gun ownership records updated so that no firearms ever fall into the wrong hands because of some loophole in the record-keeping system. But, after the devastation at Sandy Hook school, for the newspaper to jump on the tragedy and use it for their financial gain by portraying legal gun owners as would-be degenerates of society…is criminal. The Gannett chain has been losing money for years, have gone through massive layoffs and facility down-sizing. They just latched onto a heartbreaking situation to sell subscriptions, not as a public service. One example…local residents have asked the newspaper for comprehensive info on registered sex offenders and are told that it’s impossible to update such info because these creeps hide in the shadows; better to wait until they are arrested and make the news and, to add insult to injury, there is the ACLU who pops-up to support the rights of these child abusers.
There will be a major legal battle ahead, PK but, this time, the Gannett chain has bitten off far more then they will ever be able to chew.
Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it. What a horrible publication.
Lisa
Thank you for stopping by, Lisa!
While I have no issue with more control over gun ownership, what this newspaper did, and continues to do, in the direction of law-abiding permit holders, has sparked legal issues that will be in the courts for some time. The Journal News staff was again requested to run a front page article, listing all the info on registered sex offenders in New York and to keep that info updated and in a permanent spot on the publication. Doing that would be a true public service. Once again, that request was rebuffed with their usual statement about not being able to constantly update such info, blah, blah and more blah. The newspaper treats those who follow laws like criminals but seems to protect society’s degenerates.