Readers Say Media Shouldn’t Publish Maps of Gun Owners
The majority of Patch readers said publishing gun owner information could do more harm than good.
We asked Patch readers this week, in response to a New York paper's decision to publish names and addresses of gun owners, if they thought media should publish such lists. As of Friday afternoon, the majority of Patch readers said no.
While gun owner license information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act in Illinois, similar information is publicly available in other states such as New York, where the Journal News created a map listing names and addresses of handgun permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties.
Our article, Should Maps of Local Gun Owners Be Public? generated more than 100 comments. Close to 80 percent of users voted no when asked if the media should be publishing these sorts of maps.
Patch user Holly Walters wrote, “I don't understand how having access to such a map would be useful. Once we have the information, what would we do with it?”
Map Could Endager Homeowners
Many readers commented that by publishing such a map it would make it easier for criminals to target homes without firearms.
Patch user Harry Gio wrote, “Having a map to show who has a gun will endanger the homeowners that do NOT have a gun; especially the elderly and the disabled... Duh! Why create the "Perfect" scenario for Burglars and Home Invaders to operate more efficiently? This will allow for MORE crime to come into our neighborhoods!!!”
“Criminals would AVOID houses where they knew the owners were armed, and instead target the unarmed homes,” wrote Patch user Carl Castrogiovanni.
Neal Weingarden posted on Facebook, “All this will do is tell the criminals where the guns are while the law respecting owners are at work. Posting the addresses will only make it easier to put guns in the hands of the wrong people."
Patch user Willie Wilmette echoed that sentiment, writing, “Any value of disclosing addresses of gun owners would be outweighed by the harm it would do. How would people feel if the 1st amendment was treated this way and all subscribers of all publications were publicly listed or if everyone could see who sent you mail?”
On Facebook, Steve Cornelius wrote, “A study by MIT in 2010 showed that publishing the names and locations of registered gun owners resulted in lower crime rates in areas with higher gun ownership (duh!) and higher crime rates in areas with lower gun ownership: http://is.gd/WKhmej.”
Information Could Provide Protection
Some readers, however, felt gun ownership information should be made public.
“A citizen has the right to know if his/her next door neighbor is lethally armed. I would not let my child go into a house where guns were present,” wrote Patch user John Kerr. “Don't I have the right to protect my child? Don't I have a right to know if there is a legal gun in a house next to me that also is the home of a convicted felon? I believe I do.”
Kevin Countois wrote on Facebook, “They list home values and real estate deals. Why not gun ownership?”
In This article
-
-
Holly Walters
Joined Patch Thursday, January 3, 2013 -
Harry Gio
Joined Patch Tuesday, May 22, 2012 -
Carl Castrogiovanni
Joined Patch Friday, May 20, 2011 -
Willie Wilmette
Joined Patch Wednesday, July 13, 2011 -
IMHO
Joined Patch Monday, November 15, 2010
Another Point
9:08 am on Sunday, January 6, 2013
"Don't I have the right to protect my child?" Why not assume that any home your child visits has guns - start there, John. If you want to protect your child, educate. Guns don't kill, kitchen knives don't kill, trains don't kill, household cleaners don't kill, but people do. Empower your child to understand dangerous situations and don't assume that publishing a list of gun owners will give YOU control over anything.
Carl Castrogiovanni
12:45 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013
Exactly. EVERY home has something lethal in it. Educate your kids not to play with guns whether in your own home or anyone else's...
Harry Gio
9:42 am on Sunday, January 6, 2013
The BAD guys can't wait for such a STUPID list to be published, as this will clearly streamline their profits from burglaries... Thanks again, LIBERALS!!!!!!!!!!
schuyler unger
10:54 am on Sunday, January 6, 2013
But putting a gun in everybody's hand is the solution? In actuality, there's more guns out there than what's published. The City is running out of kids for drive-by shootings. You must want more of it coming to the subsurbs. Who's the nut case here?
Carl Castrogiovanni
12:43 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013
"But putting a gun in everybody's hand is the solution?"
"schuyler",
NOWHERE did "Harry" suggest any such thing! Brush up on your reading comprehension before you insinuate that other posters are 'nut cases'...
Carl Castrogiovanni
3:21 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013
House A) gun owner - potentially good stuff to steal (valuables plus the guns), but also potentially lethal risk to the perp...
House B) non gun owner - potentially good stuff to steal (valuables just like anyone else), but less lethal risk to the perp...
Which one will the perp choose?
I would argue for B somewhat more than A, but either way, publishing this info is a bad idea...
The Q
10:13 am on Sunday, January 6, 2013
just shut the patch down.....this is crap
richard fitswell
11:27 am on Sunday, January 6, 2013
A drunk driver kills with a car. Should we outlaw cars?
There are 333 million people in the U.S. . The amount of bad guys/girls is a drop in the bucket compared to this figure. How many abortions are performed in the country every year. Nuff said
richard fitswell
11:35 am on Sunday, January 6, 2013
1.3 million a year and 43 million worldwide. i think we need to outlaw doctors
Millie
11:36 am on Sunday, January 6, 2013
Getting a couple of Tanks like Arnold
richard fitswell
11:49 am on Sunday, January 6, 2013
I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6
Charles
12:02 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013
Bingo.
Robert P. Mark
1:23 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013
I must have missed it. What exactly is the upside to publishing the names of the folks with guns other than tweaking the noses on the folks that own them by those who don't?
Millie
4:09 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013
Fills up newspaper space. Will probably sell a few more newspapers.. If your dying to know perhaps you will find your neighbors have some providing you know the names of your neighbor.
Jim
3:07 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013
Hey Robert,
Check out "Rules for Radicals". Rule number one is to marginalize your opponents.Anyone who owns a gun is bad in some way or another and associated with people who kill. It is easy; guns kill. People own guns. Therefore people kill. How about doing it this way; liberals ruin nations. You are a liberal. Therefore you ruin nations. Same crap either way.
Robert P. Mark
3:22 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013
And even though I ain't one, I always thought the RNC was waaaayyy better at organizing these kinds of soundbites than the DNC. And I actually mean that as a compliment.
Corey D
4:18 pm on Sunday, January 6, 2013
The vast majority of gun crimes are committed by people that are not in legal possession of the gun they are using. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. Revealing names and addresses of legal gun owners is negligent an serves no purpose whatsoever.
Ann-Marie Smith
9:33 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
EDITOR:
Miss Royle’s married name is Lambert. She lives in White Plains
Cynthia R Lambert
17 Mcbride Ave
White Plains, NY 10603 (914) 948-9388
Work: 914-694-5001
croyle@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/croyle1
Publisher, Janet Hasson,
3 Gate House Lane, Mamaroneck NY, 10543
(914) 694-5204
Reporter, Dwight R. Worley, 23006 139 Ave
Springfield Gardens, NY 11413
(718) 527-0832
The “Visual Editor” responsible for the map itself is:
Robert F. Rodriguez
(w) Stephanie Azzarone
Home (212) 222-4566
420 Riverside Dr, Apt 7A
New York, NY 10025-7748
Publisher: Janet Hasson (@janhasson on twitter) 3 Gate House Rd, Mamaroneck, NY 10534
GANNET CEO:
Gracia C Martore 728 Springvale Rd Great Falls, VA 22066 (703) 759-5954
aasss
10:44 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
http://www.usaxcoachfactoryoutlet.com/ Coach Factory Outlet
http://www.coachxpursesoutletonline.net/ Coach Purses Outlet Online
http://www.coachbags2013-vip.net/ Coach Store Online
http://www.coachisoutlet.com/ Coach Outlet
http://www.usfactoies.com/ Coach Factory Outlet Online
http://www.bagscoupon2013.com/ shop.coachfactory.com
http://www.uswcoay.com/ Coach Outlet Online
http://www.bagsoutletfans.com/ Coach Factory Online
http://www.buynewbags2013.com/ coachfactory.com/shop
http://www.monstervbeats.net/ Moster Beats Outlet Beats By Dre Custom
http://www.guccishoesuk.net/ Gucci Shoes Outlet
http://www.new-michaelkors.com/ Michael Kors Outlet Online
http://www.mk-michaellkorsoutlet.net/ Michael Kors Outlet
http://www.northfacejacketsoutletonline.net/ North Face Jacket Outlet North Face Outlet