You remember the Journal News don't you. How could you forget them since it was just a couple of weeks or so ago that they published an interactive map on the Internet - "The gun owner next door: What you don't know about the weapons in your neighborhood." It is a map that gives the names and home addresses of pistol license holders in both Westchester and Rockland Counties in New york State (source). Negative criticism of that act, as being one, in essence, of absolute irresponsibility, senselessness, stupidity that would quite possibly cause gun crimes to spiral out of control were pooh-poohed by the media - at least at first. After all, this apparently was a direct shot at those who LEGALLY own firearms in the far left's assault on the right to keep and bear arms. However there were hundreds, if not thousands, of online comments that gave negative feedback about the map and in which the commenters realized that publication of that map held great potential to see a rise in thefts of legally owned guns, from the homes of the gun owners listed on the map, guns that would wind up in the wrong hands and be used in crimes, even possible killings. In addition, many people leaving feedback realized immediately that there was a flip side to that coin because while only legal gun owners homes were listed a criminal now could also figure out which homes did not have legally owned handgun sand thus were likely easier targets to burgle or invade with less chance of the criminal being stopped by the homeowner. Yes, that meant even ultra gun hating liberals' homes were at risk of criminal invasion - maybe even more so than the homes of pistol license holders.
Now ex-criminals are coming out of the woodwork and saying the move to publish that map was really an unintelligent and i essence potentially even a very dangerous thing to do. Fox News reports the thoughts of a former burglar on this issue like this:
“Having a list of who has a gun is like gold - why rob that house when you can hit the one next door, where there are no guns? (source)
“That was the most asinine article I’ve ever seen,” said Walter T. Shaw, 65, a former burglar and jewel thief who the FBI blames for more than 3,000 break-ins that netted some $70 million in the 1960s and 1970s. “Having a list of who has a gun is like gold - why rob that house when you can hit the one next door, where there are no guns? (source)
"What they did was insanity," added Shaw, author of "License to Steal," a book about his criminal career. (source)
A second ex-burglar and ex-armed robber, Bob Portenier, was reported as having said it this way:
“They just created an opportunity for some crimes to be committed and I think it’s exceptionally stupid,” (source)
He was also quoted as saying: “That’s one of the first things we’d check out—guns are on the top of the list of what you want to steal,” he said. “They can walk out with a shotgun and a couple of handguns and sell them on the street for $300 or $400 a pop. They can sell them to a gangbanger who ends up killing someone."
In addition Fox credited him with his sentiment: "While some burglars may use the newspaper’s information to avoid guns, Portenier said others will target homes with guns. The newspaper’s decision could even lead to legally-owned guns proliferating on the street, he said." (source)
Fox quoted yet a third ex-criminal, Frank Abagnale:
“It is unbelievable that a newspaper or so called journalist would publish the names and addresses of legal gun owners, including federal agents, law enforcement officers and the like,”
And as saying this:
“This would be equivalent to publishing the names of individuals who keep substantial sums of money, jewelry and valuables in their home.” (source)
To say that they screwed up, at the Journal News is an understatement in my opinion. That they are hypocrites beyond compare mostly is what think of them, in civil tongued terms anyway. Why hypocrites? As I noted in previous blog post, the Journal News, feeling threatened because of negative feedback they had received, hired Armed Security personnel to protect their offices and personnel from perceived threats. Note I said perceived threats because an editor of the Journal News reportedly turned a couple of so called threatening emails over to the police. The police investigated and determined the emails did not contain anything threatening at all. In other words, the wussies at the Journal News like to stir the pot but once they get their targets riled up they apparently piss their own pants when people call them on it by way negative feedback (also known as a form of legal exercise of free speech)!
And to think, those ever so intelligent intellectuals, at the Journal News, were saying they were going to continue publishing even more information on additional legal pistol permit holders in yet another county. Truth really is stranger than fiction, more idiotic too. However, there is hope that the names of pistol license holder in Putnam County, NY will not be published on that or another Interactive map or elsewhere. Law makers in Putnam County are refusing, at least for now, to release the information citing public safety concerns. Watch the video for some info on that here (sorry I could not get it to embed).
All the best,
Glenn B
