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Newspaper That Published The Names & Addresses of Gun Owners Hires Armed Guards

Jan. 1, 2013 11:22pm Becket Adams

The Gannett-owned newspaper that caused a stir by printing the personal information of registered gun owners in New York’s Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties has discovered that it’s no fun having your personal information exposed to the entire world.

Responding to a national backlash over their decision to publish an interactive map with the names and addresses of registered gun owners, the editorial staff at Gannett’s Journal News has hired armed guards to watch over their building.

“A Clarkstown police report issued on December 28, 2012, confirmed that The Journal News has hired armed security guards from New City-based RGA Investigations and that they are manning the newspaper’s Rockland County headquarters … through at least tomorrow, Wednesday, January 2, 2013,” the County Times reports.

Journal News Rockland Editor Caryn A. McBride said she was genuinely surprised to discover that publishing a map with the names and addresses of gun owners would result in “negative correspondence,” that is, an “avalanche” of angry phone calls and emails, police reports note.

“Due to apparent safety concerns, the newspaper then decided to hire RGA Investigations to provide armed personnel to man the location,” the County Times report adds.

But even though they’ve successfully outraged thousands of private citizens, there have been no problems reported at the Journal News headquarters “despite the massive influx of phone calls and emails,” Private investigator Richard Ayoob told the Clarkstown Police Friday.

“McBride had filed at least two reports with the Clarkstown Police Department due to perceived threats. However, the police did not find the communications in question actually threatening,” the report adds. “Incident-Report 2012-00033099 describes McBride telling police she was worried because an email writer wondered ‘what McBride would get in her mail now.’”

The email did not “constitute an offense” and didn’t have an actual threat, police said.

It all started after Journal News decided to publish a map with the names and addresses of legal gun owners in two New York counties.

The map was included in an article entitled “The gun owner next door: What you don’t know about the weapons in your neighborhood,” that was released shortly after a shooting spree in Newtown, Conn., claimed 26 lives, including 20 children.

“Some 44,000 people are licensed to own pistols in the three counties, the newspaper said. Owners of rifles and shotguns do not need permits,” Reuters notes.

And even after a pro-Second Amendment blogger retaliated by publishing the personal information of Journal News staffers, the Gannet newspaper decided to double down and release even more personal information on New York permit holders.

Journal News Gets Freaked Out Over Response to Gun Map, Hires Armed Guards

After the newspaper launched its ‘gun owners’ map, pro-Second Amendment blogger Robert Cox retaliated by releasing a map with the names & addresses of ‘Journal News’ employees.

“Further names and addresses will be added as they become available to a map originally published on December 24 in the White Plains, New York-based Journal News,” the newspaper announced last week.

Sen. Greg Ball (R-N.Y.) has announced plans to introduce legislation that would keep the names and addresses of gun owners private except to law enforcement.

“The asinine editors at the Journal News have once again gone out of their way to place a virtual scarlet letter on law abiding firearm owners throughout the region,” the senator’s website reads.

No word yet on whether Journal News plans to release the names and addresses of its armed guards.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

Featured image courtesy AP.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (256)

ENIGMA28724
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:06am
I’m not surprised that Caryn A. McBride was genuinely surprised about the negative responses to publishing the list of gun owners. It’s not hard when you are genuinely stupid to be surprised. These people don’t think about the consequences of their actions. What is really hypocritical to me is the fact they now have hired people with guns to protect them, something they want to deny the average citizen.

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KKC003
Posted on January 5, 2013 at 7:33pm
Release a list of all registered ******** so they can be robbed, they never own guns, easy pickins, like fish in a barrel.

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- KKC003
  Posted on January 5, 2013 at 7:33pm
  Lib tar ds, was deleted.
  
  Report this comment
animaliberty
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 12:28am
By giving the public names and addresses of registered gun owners, this paper has given criminals a place to go to break and enter for guns while owners are at work. This newspaper is essentially putting more guns in the hands of criminals, while at the same time, taking the guns out of the hands of law abiding registered gun owners. Such backward logic. Do they REALLY think they are protecting the public by telling everyone where they can find guns!?!

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annieelf
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:54pm
<>

She was surprised? Apparently she does not keep her finger on the pulse of anyone beyond her liberal readership. Hello, McBride – there is a big bad world out there and they don’t like being messed with.

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PA_Iraq_Vet
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 11:18am
Their argument is it is public record for publishing this inFormation? Alright, let’s publish:
1. The names and addresses of all receiving public assistance.
2. The names and addresses of everyone arrested.
3. Names and addresses of all public employees.

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- annieelf
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:55pm
  You read my mind. Tit for tat.
  
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IFLYLOW
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 11:00am
I wonder how many of the people without the little red dots over their houses are standing in line to get a permit?

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Jimw
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:52am
The greatest civilization is one where all citizens can defend themselves equally, maintains the right to bear arms, which means they can only be persuaded by logic and intelligent argument. They will never be forced and never ruled by their government but instead united, guided and protected by a government for the people, by the people!!

OldFartAmerican J.B.W.

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elosogrande
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:29am
It should be illegal for civilians to hire armed guards for protection. We don’t know how competent these guards are, and they may kill innocent people. The anti-gun crowd has to set an example for the rest of us. They can have all the guards they want, as long as they are not armed.

These whining do-gooders should do what they want the rest of us to do when there’s an emergency – call the police. After all, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

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rbolt
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 5:25am
These douche bags hire armed guards, but they don’t want us to be able to protect ourselves. What are the odds of me ever buying this newspaper? How about 0%.

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509Ptrooper
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 10:37pm
13A not everyone is a gutless puke. People have been hoarding and caching all sorts of good stuff for years. You seen to think taxation is the catalyst of political ideals. Let me remind you the Revolutionary War was fought over taxation. There are a few good men that haven’t had their balls cut off by the commies and it appears you are one.

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KingCoal59
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:59pm
The Moss familyof jones county Georgia , 11 yo boy, 15 yo girl and the father were held and then murdered because one of the guys had went with a date to a birthday party at the house, while there he had found out there were guns there. The guy and an associate came back and murdered these. Kids and their dad, as they came home from work and school. This is what concerns me is that telling someone who is a criminal that I have anything in my house is endangering me and my family. One of these young men was executed the other is waiting for his payday and I hope he is miserable. If any of these people whose business was published in the media without their consent is robbed or I’d forbid murdered you can bet the survivors would own that newspaper and it’s editors and writers and they should.

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rich66
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:06pm
Journal News Rockland Editor Caryn A. McBride said she was genuinely surprised to discover that publishing a map with the names and addresses of gun owners would result in “negative correspondence,”
Then this woman is a dumb ass.
And any security guard that takes this gig is a fool…

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