Study on Gun Owner Names Published - TN

[ksholder]

Back in 2008, a Memphis paper published names and zip codes of gun owners. MIT performed a study of the impact of that action. The results were interesting.

Scout.com: More Gun-Permit Publishings from NY Newspaper....

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[JoJoGunn]

Maybe it kept crime from happening, or it did contribute to a decline. Things like publishing concealed carry permit owners really is not a good thing even if it supposedly does lower crime. Why take the chance of it going the opposite way?

The publication of any sensitive information is simply wrong unless it has a multitude of reasons to help keep the public safe. Outing permit holders doesn't seem like one.

[Jeanlouise]

I don't know about that study. First, it was 2 years after the names had been published. A lot can happen in 2 years as far as crime demographics in general. Second, the street addresses weren't published in the 2008 article. That's a big difference. It's one thing for a BG to know that there are "X" number of guns in a zip code, but not know exactly where they are. In the NY newspaper, names and street addresses were published.

I suppose you could argue either way. It's possible that a BG knowing there are guns in the house might move on to an easier mark. Or, he might target that house specifically because he's going after the guns he knows are probably there.

Time will tell as to what impact the NY paper has had. Yesterday it was siad that a woman who had been stalked for years and had managed to shake off the stalker now is getting "hang up" calls all night long after her name and address was one of those published.

We all know why the paper published those names...malicious intent to further their anti-gun agenda. No amount of trying to pretty it up by the media will make a bit of difference.