As part of Sunshine Week, a national effort to promote open government, we urge legislators to make the names of concealed carry permit holders open to the public. [More]Yo, anonymous editorial writer: Stick it where the sun don't shine.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Let the Sunshine In
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4 comments:
How is the publication of a list of CCW holders who are private citizens congruent to promoting openness in government?
We are trying to get the weapons permit records sealed here in Iowa. One of the local rags got the list in the county I live in last year and published it. There's nothing like seeing your name in print. Of course some of us retaliated and published their names addresses and phone numbers. They got all pissed off about that. I wonder why?
I have a better idea. The much shorter list is one comprised of those ineligible from possession of a weapon by current law - the convicted felons, drug abusers, drunks, those adjudicated mentally ill, and those who have domestic violence injunctions. Publish that list, with the explanation that those not on the list might have a CCW license as there is nothing known that would preclude them from having one. Better yet, enact in all states and U.S. territories and possessions Constitutional Carry for both open carry and concealed carry like that in Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming and Vermont.
Would that list of ineligibles be an invasion of privacy? No more so than a list of CCW holders.
Could that list of ineligibles be abused as a list of "defenseless" targets by those with bad intent? Yup. The consequences may be even deadlier for those with bad intent because some of the ineligible are still armed.
Gun rights groups can and do use these CCW lists to reach out beyond the typical 2AM crowd to get support. I suggest doing that while working towards Constitutional carry. And when someone does a crappy thing like publish these lists, use it to beat them up, promote anonymous Const. carry, and raise money for our cause.
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