Don’t hide public information

Excellent editorial.

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As said there are lots of things that are "public record" - BUT who has the time, money, and NEED to search these records for exploitive measures ??? Many things are not openly published for a variety of reasons,public embarassment and/or chastisement being just two. Oh wait, that was before the age of "we need to know everything" when the news media and the public had a conscience and respect for society.

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This info was available to the public. All they had to do is foil it. To publish this wrong and anything that happens because of it the paper should be held accountable. The only service provided here is gain notoriety and advertisers.

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Pards13, the paper cannot be held accountable for publishing information that is already in the public domain.

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How about publishing the names and addresses of all sex offenders in Fulton County, the arrest records of all public officials, and the names and addresses of all able bodied individuals on Public Assistance?

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Hilltopper, that's not the same argument. 'the names and addresses of all able bodied individuals on Public Assistance' isn't a metter of public information. Gun permits are.

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The issue is not if the names can be published, but rather WHY they would be published. FOIL laws allow it, sure, but laws also makes it is legal to burn the American flag. Does the Leader Herald think people should exercise that right because it is allowed by law?

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Additionally, the only gun permits required are for handguns, which happened to be highly valued by the criminal element. Since known criminal are excluded from legally acquiring handguns, publishing the names would do nothing more than invite crime.

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No they can't be held liable for this. Nor can the guy who published their employees names and addresses which is also in the public record. Just because you can does not mean that you should. It was self serving and not warranted. We need to enforce the laws that are on the books. I don't know why I worry because they won't enforce these either. Just feel good legislation. "Oh look I'm a good politician I stopped those bad gun owners." I'm sure all the criminals will take note and use only legal guns and magazines.

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I wonder if that would sell newspapers? Could there be an agenda?

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Hilltopper, that's still not the same argument. public assistance recipients aren't within the scope of public domain; gun permitees are. whether or not the LH or any newspaper should publish permitee information isn't the same as publishing the names of public assistance recipients whose information isn't available to the public anyway. it seems like you'd be advocating to change the law to in fact include public assistance recipients' names to the public, thereby allowing them to public domain, and by extension able to be published in a newspaper.

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rschweiser: Should members of the Westboro Baptist Church protest at funerals? What do you think, not as a lawyer but as a human being? Skip the part about it being legal because we already know that it is, as per a board of "Supreme" lawyers.

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In the days of old newspapers routinely published names of people on the "dole". I doubt if there is enough newsprint for that now.

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I agree with you that my example of publishing the names of able bodied people on welfare is not permitted. I did, however, suggest that they publish the the names of sex offenders and arrest records of elected officials, so now please take issue with that. The rub is that morality and legality, as per the courts, is not always the same thing,and sometime collide in the "real" world.

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Hilltopper, the WBC is a group of disgusting human beings who claim to be Christian and that their interpretation of the Bible is the truest and strictest interpretation.

However...

They're Americanm and as such are accorded the rights and privileges that come with being one, including, among others, the right to assemble and voice their opinions so long as the are not threatening life.

Protest to their hearts' content I say.

The irony is that their leader was actually among the most staunch civil rights lawyers in the country at one point, defending anyone whose basic civil rights were violated. That's not a bad thing, but it's been muddied by other issues over the last several years.

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'topper, thanks for stepping up with swizzer, I need a break:-)

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HT: forgot to address your question of 'publish[ing] the the names of sex offenders and arrest records of elected officials'.

No issue taken by me. It's in the public domain as well, although it's not as easy to get arrest records as it is to get sex offenders'.

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Listing the names gave criminals the addresses of houses NOT protected by a gun! Names and addresses should not have been released. It's already backfiring as convicts are targeting downstate corrections officers with harassment now that they know where they live! That was freakin bright...anything to sell newspapers! The best way to go after the Journel News is to boycott the advertisers! Money talks! No Ads, No Newspaper!

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drugsrus, yes, it's gotta be so tiresome 'fighting' someone who challenges your fake facts.

cry baby.

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he's always got to poke the sleeping dog, then complains that he got bit

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JohnSteady, can you point me to where you read that criminals are targeting corrections officers' homes? I was trying to look but couldn't find the article.

Thanks.

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YO Beavis - nobody is crying, you simply fail to see the light and it gets tiresome telling you the same thing over and over. I'd almost rather teach a pig to sing.

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What about the case down south where the woman hide in the attic with her kids and the coackroach broke down doors to get to them. He wasn't looking just to steal a tv...she shot him 5 times and now he's getting free medical care for his wounds. She needs better aim! He's a repeat offender let out onto the public! You don't need an M-16 or AK-47 for "HUNTING" but a pistol and standard rifle I can see

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Here's just one rschweizer, you have to get news outside of Fulton County to know what's going on Plus he's been on the Network news too.

rocklandtimesDOTcom/2013/01/10/falco-drops-bombshell/ google this: Chief Nulty Says Journal News Endangers Undercover Officers, Orangetown Council Blasts Journal-News Gun Map

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WBC needs to drink some of the special Jim Jones "Kool-aid" and do us all a favor! You know your whacko group is bad is when the KKK and Hells Angels block your stupid protests. They are not a "CHURCH", and should be recognized as a HATE group.

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