An IOWA Paper publishes the names AND addresses of CHP Holders

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I just read anarticle in Iowa where a Trejbal wannabe Mike McWilliams published another list wih names and addresses of CHP holders:

http://www.hawkcentral.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070324/NEWS01/703240313/1079/HAWKS

Here's the letter I just sent to the followingpeople at the paper:

Mike McWilliams - Author mmcwilliams@press-citizen.com
Trisha DeWall - Asst. Managing Editor tdewall@press-citizen.com
Jim Lewers - Managing Editor jlewers@press-citizen.com
Mike Beck - Publisher mbeck@press-citizen.com
opinion@press-citizen.com

Mr. McWilliams,

I recently read your article in the Iowa Press Citizen titled "Who is allowed to carry a weapon?" (http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pb...703240313/1079) and I am outraged that your paper has published not only the names but the addresses of Concealed Weapons Permit holders.

There is no need or purpose served by the wholesale publishing of the list, and doing so was nothing more than a malicious attempt to strike out against lawful gun owners. It also may have recklessley endangered some of those CWP holders, some of which may have them because they are victims of violent rape, sexual abuse, or domestic abuse and are in hiding from their assailants. The Supreme Court has already upheld that the police are not responsible for the protection of individual citizens, merely to enforce the law. Who then IS responsible? Each citizen is ultimately responsible for their own safety. One means is through the responsible and legal use of firearms, even concealed ones.

Had you merely wanted to prove that you could get the list, exercising your FOIA rights (while they exist), you could have listed only the names and permit data without including the addresses. That not having happened, it is merely an act of spite and malice toward legal gun owners who, being amongst the most law abiding citizens anywhere, have had mandatory background checks and handgun training.

"We the People" do indeed have the right to access those records as long as they remain public. However, I do not subscribe to the belief that the press speaks for "We the People".

I often hear the overused and misused statement from the press that "people have a right to know" throughout the journalistic world on a multitude of issues. While we indeed have that right, we do not necessarily have a need to know and sadly most will just not care because it doesn't affect them personally. Reporters and journalists are not now, nor have they ever been the keepers, custodians or guardians of the people's rights, nor do they speak on behalf of anyone other than themselves. The use of that statement is merely self-serving in the interests of "getting the story".

If an individual or other entity expresses a desire or need to gain access to a particular piece of information, for whatever reason, they have legal means to use the FOIA system as necessary and as is their right. But with that right comes responsibility. They must then be responsible custodians of that information.

Just ask my new friend Christian Trejbal, reporter from the Roanoke TImes whose ranks you have just joined:

[url]http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/1716.html[/url]

[url]http://michellemalkin.com/archives/007050.htm[/url]

[url]http://article.nationalreview.com/?q...RhMTYxYzMzNGU=[/url]

[url]http://thelibertysphere.blogspot.com...christian.html[/url]

[url]http://christiantrejbalfan.blogspot.com/[/url]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...22&btnG=Search

This wholesale attitude of the media that thy can hide behind the statement that "the people have a right to know" does not now, nor has it ever empowered the media to act on their behalf, and most certainly not to act irresponsibly to the endangerment of others. We already have elected officials to do that and do not need more from the press. You and the "press" in general may be able to express your own opinion or that of those you interview, but not of all Americans.

Responsible journalism is nothing to be taken lightly. I sincerely hope that you can recognize the potential for real harm that this seemingly harmless article may bring to innocent citezens who have the right not to be victimized again, and certainly not in the name of your paper's need to "get the story" or its First Ammendment rights and will remove the data base immediately.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to seeing the list removed and to your response.

Sincerely,
Bob Cavalcante
Springfield, Virginia
Virginia Citizens Defense League
NRA Life Member
US Navy Retired
Member OpenCarry.org

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!"
--Samuel Adams

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Bob, I suggest posting/copying to the OC.o Iowa forum. Perhaps such a post may bring comment beyond the spam left there for so long, a sad commentary on the state of freedom advocacy.

Good catch. I would be pleased to voluntarily have my name posted as a legally armed citizen in Wisconsin...if only.

Doug Huffman
Washington Island, WI
Citizen activist
CV interesting irrelevant

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Yee-ow. I recently relocated from Iowa, and for a moment felt my stomach knot... expecting to see mine and my wife's name and (former) address in that list. Alas, it is only Johnson County residents. I feel for those folks and especially the Virginia permit holders. Legal to obtain and publish or not, there's real danger posed to the published folks, and a strong response is called for.

I recognize most of the guys who commented on the story at the Iowa City paper's web site, and think they are doing a great job in responding and making use of the opportunity to educate the public. If you want to support them, head over to http://iowacarry.org/ and say hello.

BTW, even though legal for permit to carry holders, Iowa OC is kind of taboo because of the whole may-issue situation. Meaning, if you do something your sheriff doesn't like, they can - and for instance in Polk County, threaten permit holders they will - either tell you to surrender your permit or simply refuse to renew it next year (it's a one-year permit). Way too much power in the sheriffs hands...

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Why, why, why do these papers keep doing this? I noticed the "disclaimer" at the bottom of the list... "Those with no address listed are retired/former law enforcement officers. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office declined to release their home addresses. " While I understand the theroy behind it I still have problems with the double-standard. No one should have their address published. Aw-man, I'm getting steamed all over again...:banghead:

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Doug Huffman wrote:

Bob, I suggest posting/copying to the OC.o Iowa forum. Perhaps such a post may bring comment beyond the spam left there for so long, a sad commentary on the state of freedom advocacy.

Good catch. I would be pleased to voluntarily have my name posted as a legally armed citizen in Wisconsin...if only.

Doug Huffman
Washington Island, WI
Citizen activist
CV interesting irrelevant

Click to expand...

I copied it to the Iowa forum and over on THR where they have a thread going also. No reply yet, but I expect one tomorrow.

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BobCav that was an excellent response and thank you for it.

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Thanks for the heads up, Bob. I used this as a civics lesson in home school today. Here was my response to McWilliams:



Mr. McWilliams,





Your article publishing the names and addresses of Johnson County citizens with a carry permit is a great example of irresponsible journalism. I used it today with my children as an illustration of the rampant civic irresponsibility in our media.



"Why would he do that?" my 12-year-old asked.



"It's hard to say, son," I replied. "It's hard to understand why anyone would do this. It has to be someone who doesn't like regular citizens. The guy who put this information out, this Mr. McWilliams, he would rather have us all living under the authority of a privileged class. They see us all in terms of the rulers and the ruled. They want us to depend on them for basic needs like protection from criminals. So when they see us arming ourselves, rejecting their ideas of tyrannical government, they hate us, and they tell all the criminals where we are, so they can keep us under watch, and maybe kill us first, if they ever want to rob a bank or something."



"You mean, this reporter likes criminals better than us?" he asked.



"Absolutely. He wants them to know where we live and everything."



"He hates us?"



"Yes, he absolutely despises us."



My son was incredulous. "But why??[/b]"



I shrugged. "It's impossible to know these things. You just need to understand that people like Mr. McWilliams are dangerous because they don't care about you or me or Mama. They publish stuff like that, and they don't care what happens to us."



My son thought about this for awhile, then came back a half-hour later.



"I just can't believe McWilliams would put this in the paper. There's no reason for it. How can he hate the permit holders?"



"I know it's hard to believe," I said. "Let me ask you this: suppose there was someone who did hate all those people. How is what McWilliams did any different than what that hating person would do?"



Of course, there was no difference.



So we have to be on our guard against criminals and irresponsible journalists.