Last week, Cherokee County, NC, Sheriff Keith Lovin refused an open records request from a local paper, The Cherokee Scout, to release the names of concealed gun permit holders. The request brought an angry backlash against the Scout. Then the paper printed not one, but two public apologies for even requesting the information. The request and apology sparked a nationwide debate and now Scout editor Robert Horne has resigned. "Those records are public. Courts have ruled that they're public," said UNCA journalism professor Michael Gouge. He scoffed at Sheriff Lovin's contention he's withholding the records to protect public safety and privacy. "The information in there is not much different than the information you would get in the land records, which are available online." The state Attorney General's Office believes the gun permit records are public and routinely releases it. In fact, a spokeswoman told News 13's Mario Boone the only gun permit information not considered public are social security numbers, military status, and scars and tattoos. The North Carolina Sheriffs' Association is on the fence and said there are two schools of thought on the issue. Either sheriffs are for or against releasing the data. The group believes the matter must ultimately be decided by the courts if the legislature doesn't settle it first. "The record belongs to the people, not to the sheriff," said Gouge Read More at: Newspaper Editor Resigns Amid Controversy - WLOS ABC13 - Top Stories
Again, one must ask "What is the purpose of having the names/addresses of people with CCW permits?" This is obviously a rhetorical question--we know what "they" want to do: "out" those evil "CCW" holders so that other, more civilized people can go key their cars or mess up their mailbox. What happens when one of these "civilized" people confront a CCW holder and said weapon is shown because its owner feels threatened? That's ultimately what they want. You won't see the publisher harassing these CCW holders--they know there are other libtards out there though who are bat-sh!t crazy enough to do this.
We live in such a screwy world, where "we" think information like CCW permits should be public, but god forbid if you make info on who is HIV positive public, or release someone's tax returns, neither of which will cause a public safety issue. What would happen if a conservative news paper tried to publish a list of everyone in the county on public assistance? In that case I am sure the Attorney General would say "they have a right to privacy". But CCW holders that don't take a dime from the public coffers, but their info is fair game. The Sheriff got it right, this is a public safety issue. The only reason the government knows who has a permit is because they passed a law that requires a permit. If you force someone to give up private information to exercise a god given right, the least the government can do is keep it to themselves.
