This week, controversy followed a Hudson Valley paper’s decision to publish a list of names, addresses and an interactive map culled from records of legal gun permit holders on the web, and many who support gun rights were outraged by the move made with information gleaned via the Freedom Of Information Act, or FOIA.
In our earlier coverage of the gun debate’s new front, the comments about the Journal News’ controversial interactive map of local gun permits were fiery, and the paper has received feedback both positive and negative in light of their unusual choice to post the information on their website.
Perhaps predictably, a blogger who did not care for the post on LoHud.com responded in kind — making public the names, addresses and phone numbers of all who work for the paper, from the top guy down to lower-rung staff. Blogger Christopher Fountain, in a post titled “ Keep Up The Heat ,” (bolding his) begins by saying:
“Editor Cyndee Royle defends her decision and in fact sounds quite smug about it. Her paper is apparently still trying to obtain, and publish, information on how many guns, and their type, are registered to each owner, presumably to make shopping easier for gun thieves. Nothing more disappointing than getting a Remington 870 when you’ve been hoping for a Ruger Mini Thirty.”
Fountain links back to the Journal News, where editor CynDee Royle defends her publication’s decision and says:
“We knew publication of the database would be controversial but we felt sharing as much information as we could about gun ownership in our area was important in the aftermath of the Newtown shootings.”
Fountain discusses his decision to publish the information below, where he is — whether you agree with him or not — very fairly presenting his impetus for “doxing” the Journal News and noting his picture and real name are a part of the blog.