Angry article about the NY Newspaper Posting Gun Owners Names and Addresses (foreclosed, house)

[Buzliteyear]

Quite a situation...

Activists in Journalist Clothing

[EBWick]

It's public information just like court proceedings. If they don't like they should tell their legislators to change the law.

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by EBWick

It's public information just like court proceedings. If they don't like they should tell their legislators to change the law.

Ok, then let's start publishing the names and addresses of the following:

Personal Bankruptcy filers
Food stamp recipients
Welfare recipients
SSDI recipients
Medicaid recipients
People losing their homes to Sheriff's sale
Unemployment benefit recipients
People committed to mental institutions by order of a judge (temporarily or otherwise)
People who have filed for divorce
Death certificates (with cause of death, suicide, etc...)
People receiving early intervention services from the state for autism, aspergers, and other childhood developmental disorders

I'm not talking about in the back of the paper in 1/2 point font where some of this stuff is listed already. I'm talking about in an article on the front page. Just because something is a public record doesn't mean it's a good idea to widely publish it

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by Badfish740

Ok, then let's start publishing the names and addresses of the following:

Personal Bankruptcy filers
Food stamp recipients
Welfare recipients
SSDI recipients
Medicaid recipients
People losing their homes to Sheriff's sale
Unemployment benefit recipients
People committed to mental institutions by order of a judge (temporarily or otherwise)
People who have filed for divorce

I'm not talking about in the back of the paper in 1/2 point font where some of this stuff is listed already. I'm talking about in an article on the front page. Just because something is a public record doesn't mean it's a good idea to widely publish it

can't you just blow them away if they harass you?

[njkate]

It is public record and if someone wants the info let them search for it, for a newspaper to request, receive and publish is just not responsible IMO

[HeatherLynn822]

I wouldn't care if my child had a playdate in the home of someone who had filed for bankruptcy or was a Medicaid recipient.... but I most certainly would care if he had a playdate with someone who had a gun in the home. It is, and should be, public record, so whats the big deal? Lots of things get put in the paper, including delinquent child support parents and court petitions.... no one makes a stink about those.

[Badfish740]

Originally Posted by HeatherLynn822

I wouldn't care if my child had a playdate in the home of someone who had filed for bankruptcy or was a Medicaid recipient.... but I most certainly would care if he had a playdate with someone who had a gun in the home.

I'm glad I live in a rural part of the state where people don't worry about such things. So you would deny your child the opportunity to play with a friend if that friend's parent owned a shotgun and went bird hunting on weekends?

Originally Posted by HeatherLynn822

It is, and should be, public record, so whats the big deal?

Who is disputing that it shouldn't be?

Originally Posted by HeatherLynn822

Lots of things get put in the paper, including delinquent child support parents and court petitions.... no one makes a stink about those.

As I said, in the print version which hardly anyone reads, and on the back page which even fewer of those people read, in fine print which you can hardly see. Big difference between that and a featured front page article in the print and online versions. You don't think people would get angry if the Star Ledger had an above the fold front page article that read "THIS MONTH'S BANKRUPTCY FILERS, UNEMPLOYMENT RECIPIENTS, AND FORECLOSED HOMEOWNERS-COMPLETE WITH STREET ADDRESSES!" ? I think a few hackles might be raised.

[andrew.mensch]

I would not deny a playdate at a friend's house, but would ask how the guns are secured.

[njkate]

The scary part is criminals, people who like to break into homes now know where to go to steal guns...
Irresponsible journailism, and I use the term journalism lightly, at it's worst.

I'm with Andrew, would not deny my child to play at someone's home who had a gun/guns but would make sure how they were secured and I don't think most gun owners would be put off by the question.


So I guess if your neighbor was a police officer or any law enforcement...FBI, Sheriff's officer etc, that would mean your child could never play at that house because after all law enforcement officers usually have a gun in the house.

[bobd04]

Aren't these the same folks who are always announcing how proud they are to be law abiding gun owners? So what's the problem with publicizing their status as gun owners? They should be thankful and proud to have their law abiding gun owner status publicized. It's public information anyway. Right?