Video Highlights
- A newspaper in New York published an online interactive map containing the names and home addresses of pistol permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties.
- This publication showed complete disregard for the privacy and safety of those citizens and put them at risk of theft, doxing, and physical harm.
- The newspaper also attempted to publish the serial numbers of the guns owned by the permit holders, but was prevented from doing so as it would have been illegal.
- Another organization, Everytown, recently published an interactive map of all firearm Federal licenses in the country, including private home addresses, despite knowing the risks associated with publishing such information.
- The goal of these publications appears to be intimidation and harassment, and they have been compared to the actions of The Journal News.
- The long-term response to these incidents should be a reevaluation of the FFL regime and the potential elimination of carry permits.
Video Summary
Welcome back to 2A news now, where we address important issues related to the Second Amendment and gun ownership. Today, we need to discuss a concerning development that puts gun owners and ffls at risk. It's an online interactive map that reveals the names and home addresses of gun owners and Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders. This irresponsible publication raises serious concerns about privacy and safety.
The controversy surrounding this issue dates back to the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. In response to that tragic event, The Journal News, a newspaper based in New York, decided to publish an online interactive map containing the names and home addresses of pistol permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties. The newspaper claimed that it was sharing important information in the aftermath of the shooting, but their reasoning was flawed and misguided.
By publishing this map, The Journal News showed a complete disregard for the privacy and safety of those individuals. The names and addresses of law-abiding gun owners were exposed to potential threats such as theft, doxing, and physical harm. The newspaper's publisher openly admitted that they did it as a response to the Newtown shooting, even though the pistol permit holders had no connection to that tragic event. This reckless act was not only unethical but also put innocent citizens at risk.
Furthermore, The Journal News went even further by attempting to publish the serial numbers of the guns owned by the permit holders. Fortunately, the county clerks recognized the illegality of such an action and prevented the release of this sensitive information. It is alarming to think that a newspaper would go to such lengths to invade the privacy of gun owners and potentially endanger them.
Unfortunately, it seems that The Journal News was not the only organization willing to engage in such reckless behavior. Everytown, a gun control advocacy group, recently published an interactive map of all firearm Federal licenses in the country. This map includes private home addresses, despite the organization's knowledge of the risks associated with such publication.
Everytown's map reveals that over half of all gun dealers are located in residential communities. Some of these dealers operate out of their private homes, and they are not required to notify neighbors or display signage indicating their business. While Everytown acknowledges that over five incidents per day involve the theft of firearms from gun dealers, they still chose to make this information public, putting these residential license holders at risk.
The actions of both The Journal News and Everytown demonstrate a clear intent to intimidate and harass gun owners and FFLs. By publicly revealing their personal information, these organizations are effectively painting targets on the backs of law-abiding citizens exercising their constitutional rights. This behavior is unacceptable and should be condemned by all who value privacy and safety.
It is worth noting that The Journal News kept their interactive map online for almost a month, which allowed the data to be saved, replicated, and disseminated across various platforms. There is evidence to suggest that this map may have been used to target a gun owner for burglary. Everytown's actions could potentially lead to similar incidents, although we hope this does not happen.
In response to The Journal News' actions, the state of New York passed a law allowing permit holders to opt out of public information disclosures. This change shifted the default privacy standard to opt-in, providing a greater level of protection for gun owners. However, other states have taken a stronger stance by simply eliminating carry permits altogether. The existence of a permit database creates opportunities for accidental exposure, governmental abuse, theft, and unlawful exposure by hacktivists.
The response to Everytown's thuggery should be a reevaluation of the entire FFL regime. Many individuals and communities across the country have already recognized the flaws and abuses associated with carry permits. While dismantling the FFL regime may not be an easy task, it is a necessary step to prevent future incidents like the publication of online interactive maps.
In conclusion, the publication of an online interactive map containing the names and home addresses of gun owners and FFLs is a serious violation of privacy and safety. The actions of The Journal News and Everytown demonstrate a complete disregard for the well-being of law-abiding citizens. It is imperative that we reevaluate the current FFL regime and consider alternatives to carry permits to protect the privacy and safety of gun owners. These reckless publications should not be tolerated, and steps must be taken to ensure they do not happen again in the future.
