TexasCHLforum.com

(CNSNews.com) - An Ohio newspaper's decision to publish the non-public records of concealed carry permit holders drew a strong response, and one gun rights advocacy group published personal but public information about the newspaper's editor.

The Sandusky Register on June 24 published the names, ages and home counties of the almost 2,700 concealed carry permit holders in its circulation area. Ohio gun laws restrict public access to concealed carry records but allow the media to access them.

I think some may have missed the fact that the records are not public but in an effort to avoid infringing on the 1st ammendment they still allow persons or organizations with valid media credentials access to the records. I am sure the assumption was that they would handle the exception responsibly.

This was not as simple as taking records that the general public had access to and publishing them. John Doe off the street does not have access to this information.

Mithras61 - fair enough, understanding your personal principals regarding this and your position is respectable.

Often it is not until a crisis that some come around to believe that 2nd ammendment rights are important and start excercising them. It usually a life changing experience personally or to someone close to them that forces this change in some people.

I believe the same is true for a lot of people and this may be the life changing event that forces this editor to understand the power he wields utilizing his 1st ammendment rights. If posting his imformation puts him in the shoes of those who's right he violated then society is better for it. I believe as a member of society it is our responsiblity to act when we see an injustice and I believe the action was an appropriate response.

Now that stated, I do not think they went far enough. If my name were on a list there would have been posting with information pertaining to the writer, as much information regarding any advertisers who supported the paper AFTER the incident, members of the Board or Owners as well. I would gurantee a change in policy after that. Let the Houston rag list my name and info and I will start at the bottom and work to the top. I gurantee they will fully understand the power of the 1st ammendment before I fold my hand and I will sleep well at night knowing I made the community a better place for it. My personal principals would not allow to sit idle and sleep.

Mithras61 the editor did not seem to believe listing CHL holders personal information was wrong so in his eyes printing his information must as well be public service; unless of course he has a double standard here one must make that assumption.

Retaliation does not exist if their is no victim. If the party that you are going after believes that it is acceptable behavior to publish this type of information then there is no victim applying the logic used by the editor.

In fact, the editor should be proud to take advantage of his 1st ammendment rights and therefore be grateful that someone positioned him as such paraphrasing from his own quote.

I love that they did this, what is good for the goose.......