SmashMouth

The home of a gun owner, whose address was published by a New York newspaper, has been burglarized and a state lawmaker said it appears the burglars may have used the newspaper’s map to target the residence.
“Luckily the gun was locked up and no one was hurt,” Sen. Greg Ball said.

The residence in White Plains, was identified in an interactive map that identified the names and addresses individuals who have gun permits. It was published by The Journal News — a Gannett Co. newspaper.
The elderly homeowner, who legally owns weapons, was not at home at the time of the burglary.
“The police are doing a full investigation,” the unidentified man told NewsDay. Police said it appears the burglars targeted the homeowner’s gun safe.
The newspaper has come under intense national exposure after they published a list of residents who have gun permits.
Among the most vocal local opponents is Sen. Ball — who said the newspaper had put law-abiding citizens in danger.
“The Journal News has placed the lives of these folks at risk by creating a virtual shopping list for criminals and nut jobs,” said Ball. “If the connection is proven, this is further proof that these maps are not only an invasion of privacy but that they present a clear and present danger to law-abiding, private citizens.”
Ball is introducing legislation Monday to protect the names of New Yorkers who have legally obtained gun permits.
“Former convicts have already testified to the usefulness of the asinine Journal News ‘gun maps’ yet the reckless editors are evidently willing to roll the dice, gambling with the lives of innocent local homeowners,” Ball said.
The Affiliated Police Association of Westchester County said they plan to hold the newspaper accountable for any attacks on their residences of their 25,000 members.
Ball said the newspaper, whose parent company owns USA Today, is coddling terrorists.
“The same elitist eggheads who use their editorial page to coddle terrorists and criminals are now treating law abiding citizens like level three sexual predators,” he said. “This is not about the Second Amendment; these bills are simply about commonsense and personal privacy. Publishing this information on a website, as we have evidently just witnessed in the recent attempted gun burglary, provides criminals with a map of where they can steal firearms from lawful owners for later use in the commission of crimes.”

Link Back

Crusader

I'd sue over it. Its just as if you would print a map of everyone ho bought high-end home elctronics the last year. Its just an invitation for burglars and thieves.

Danno

Has anyone published the names and addresses of all of those involved at the newspaper?

Crusader

Still, two wrongs does not one right make.

Danno

And refusing to counter-attack will get you pummelled. Reference Republican campaign strategies.

Crusader

Yes, but the right counterattack would be to sue, not to engage in the same stupid behaviour.

SmashMouth

Judge Jeanine of Fox is on that list, btw. She was on this morning indicating it would be very hard to win in court, a calculation I am certain this leftist rag took into consideration. The report this morning indicated they attempted to follow up for two straight weeks with the folks at this rag. They have now hired armed body guards, not ironically we suppose.

Judge Jeanine: The cowardice of The Journal News | Fox News Video

TheOak

Two wrongs make a lesson learned. Some people do not learn until the favor has been returned.

Suing does not teach people lessons. It makes lawyers fat, and the last thing this Country needs is another precedent that would restrict free speech.

This is about teaching people that freedom of speech has to be accompanied with responsibility and is not free from consequences.


What I have always found interesting , and don't take this personally Crusader.. it is not directed towards you. The rest of the planet LOVES to voice their opinion of all of things that America should keep its hands, opinions, military... out of. Yet the rest of the planet also LOVES to go public with its opinion of what America should do or not do on its own soil.

Crusader

That is quite easy to explain. The USA is currently the worlds only military superpower, but is also a cultural and economical superpower. Pretty much everything the USA does has a carry over effect on the rest of the world.

Just to make an example 9/11 really didn't have anything to do with europe, still the beefed up airport security has spread all over here to.

American domestic politics has a carry over effect on the rest of the world, if
your interest rates goes down you can bet a bunch of european banks will do the same. The US presidential election is covered pretty much as much as the national elections in a bunch of countries around the globe because the impact is so big.

That is why so many people are interested.

You kids get off my lawn!

saintfan

I was in Europe in the Summer of 1985.

Airport security there was far beyond what it was here.

Maybe I just don't understand?