Ken Nelson

I know where to find some guns.

A Memphis newspaper has published a database of CCW holders in Tennessee. The information includes contact information and address. Under the guise of “the public has a right to know” they are really just trying to make people less likely to want to get a permit.

Tennessee’s government should move quickly to make this information private. And Tennesseans also ought to publish a database of the newspaper staff’s home addresses and their car license plate numbers.  Nothing like a taste of their own medicine to let them know “bad idea”.

I disagree with requiring licenses to carry or own firearms. Thus, in my perfect world, there would be no database of concealed carry permit holders, because everybody could be.

Until then the only valid uses of the database is for law enforcement to verify someone has one when the find them carrying a weapon, and to ensure that concealed carry permits are not going only to the politically connected or famous (see New York and California).

The rule should be “shall issue”  states (where citizens have a right to carry unless a felon) should keep the information private. Other “may issue” states, with unclear criteria, ought to make the information available but for scrutiny for fairness but not for public sharing of the details of their home address.  This way you could learn that cronies of the governor of NY get permits, but not unconnected citizens.

The newspaper’s move puts people at risk, makes burglaries more likely, and is generally in bad taste.   Tennesseans should fight back by publishing information about the staff of the paper and also boycotting the newspaper and its advertisers.