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Inside the Newsroom: Case for gun-permit listings trumps emotional opposition

Harry Guerrilla

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Inside the Newsroom: Case for gun-permit listings trumps emotional opposition : Columnists : Memphis Commercial Appeal

Misunderstandings with people who carry guns can turn ugly.

This past week it has been ugly at the newspaper, after passionate gun owners latched onto three very wrong ideas about why The Commercial Appeal's Web site now lists all those in Tennessee who have a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Our crime? Putting up a Web-only database that allows people to search by name or ZIP code for those who have a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Tennessee. The list came from the Tennessee Department of Safety and is available to anyone who wants it, simply by contacting the agency's office. The state of Tennessee, to this point, has decided that the right to carry a concealed weapon comes with the responsibility of agreeing to have a public record of who is packing.

That's why commercialappeal.com posted the list. It's a tiny bit of local information, and we're in that business of gathering and distributing local information.

Granted, news organizations do have some things to learn about this changing media world where print is about stories and online is about data and search. We need to learn how to massage databases more efficiently to tease out particular information, such as how many convicted felons in Shelby County have a concealed weapons permit. (Nine, as it turned out when we did this story back in August 2008.)

This newspaper published a database listing all the concealed weapons holders in Tennessee.

That is private information in my opinion. How do you feel?
 
That's completely outrageous. How does that not violate a person's rights to privacy?

I'm with you!

However...

The state of Tennessee, to this point, has decided that the right to carry a concealed weapon comes with the responsibility of agreeing to have a public record of who is packing.

I guess the law always provided merely a veil of privacy and not a real wall of privacy.
 
I'm with you!

However...



I guess the law always provided merely a veil of privacy and not a real wall of privacy.

It's just absurd to me that gun owners who have a permit for concealed weapons have to suffer by having their information out there and readily available for everyone. I'd love to hear what the state's reasoning is for this absurdity.
 
That is private information in my opinion. How do you feel?


That's completely outrageous. How does that not violate a person's rights to privacy?

In some states the information is public and can be obtained by anyone.

My problem with them publishing this is that it puts those that don't have a concealed handgun permit at risk IMO. Someone who is going to commit a crime against someone now can find out whether or not they have a concealed weapons permit or not.
 
In some states the information is public and can be obtained by anyone.

My problem with them publishing this is that it puts those that don't have a concealed handgun permit at risk IMO. Someone who is going to commit a crime against someone now can find out whether or not they have a concealed weapons permit or not.

It shouldn't be public. One shouldn't have to have their information public just because they have a concealed handgun permit.
 
It shouldn't be public. One shouldn't have to have their information public just because they have a concealed handgun permit.

I don't disagree with you there, but it is public. So while it is tasteless IMO, it is legal.
 
I second amendment is a joke now and the words are meaningless.

Don't you love government.

Where in the second amendment does it state you have the right to bear arms and keep that information private?

Again, what they are doing is legal, however, just because it is legal doesn't mean its the right thing to do.
 
Where in the second amendment does it state you have the right to bear arms and keep that information private?

Again, what they are doing is legal, however, just because it is legal doesn't mean its the right thing to do.

It is prior restraint and the fact that you have to register with the authorities to even carry a weapon concealed.

"Shall not be infringed" is pretty damn clear to me.
 
"Shall not be infringed" is pretty damn clear to me.

Making the fact you can carry a concealed weapon public, does not infringe on your right to own a weapon.

At no point does it stop you from owning one.
 
Maybe we should list people who had publically funded abortions next.



:roll:
 
Making the fact you can carry a concealed weapon public, does not infringe on your right to own a weapon.

At no point does it stop you from owning one.




Cool, then your criminal and driving record should be published next.
 
This newspaper published a database listing all the concealed weapons holders in Tennessee.
That is private information in my opinion. How do you feel?
Seems to me that if this is OK, then so too is listing people that have had abortions.
 
Cool, then your criminal and driving record should be published next.

Yeah because what you've done wrong in your life is the same as posting whether or not you can carry a concealed weapon. :roll:
 
Seems to me that if this is OK, then so too is listing people that have had abortions.

Yep because whether or not you can carry a conceled weapon is the same as someone having an abortion. :roll:

This is amusing to see all the backward reasoning by conservatives.
 
Yeah because what you've done wrong in your life is the same as posting whether or not you can carry a concealed weapon. :roll:





Cool, then your magazine subcriptions and your pay per view titles should be no problem for you as well.
 
Cool, then your magazine subcriptions and your pay per view titles should be no problem for you as well.

Sure why not. Go for it since you want to go to ridiculous extremes.
 
Yep because whether or not you can carry a conceled weapon is the same as someone having an abortion. :roll:
Either you have the right to exercise your rights in privacy, or you don't.

It is amusing to see all the selective outrage by liberals.
 
Either you have the right to exercise your rights in privacy, or you don't.

It is amusing to see all the selective outrage by liberals.

Most sides care very little about actual property rights. The cigarette bans prove that.
 
Either you have the right to exercise your rights in privacy, or you don't.

It is amusing to see all the selective outrage by liberals.

Well then I guess you don't support that Sex Offenders need to register where they are at. Privacy and all right?

It is amusing to see the selective outrage by conservatives.
 
Cool, then your criminal and driving record should be published next.
On this one point I have to go with TNE, it is not illegal. But because it is legal does not make it right to publish. Let's calm down guys. I think we all agree these a wack leftist mouthfoamers at work in the newspaper. They ought to be fired and barred from further work as journalists for breaching the public trust. This should serve as a lesson that the first amendment does not grant you the power to adversely affect public safety.
 
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