'Glock-al' Maps: Daily Publishes Location of Gun Owners

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Gannett-owned The Journal News, which serves the Lower Hudson Valley (N.Y.) counties of Putnam, Rockland and Westchester, has triggered a firestorm of protest by publishing an interactive map identifying the names and addresses of those in the daily's readership area who possess handgun or pistol permits, ABC News reported.

In the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut, slaughter of elementary school children and teachers by a deranged gunman, the Journal News said the map, published last Sunday, was of interest to its readers who want "to know about guns in their neighborhood." The map, which involved clicking on a dot to reveal the name and location of the permit owner, touched off more than 500 comments on the paper's Web site the day it appeared, largely negative.

Although the material was gleaned from public records, "TUOL" believes the Journal News map was not newsworthy, violated the permitholders' privacy rights and perhaps made them vulnerable to burglars. Whatever one's views on the hot-button issue of gun control, informing readers about the location of individuals who legally obtained gun permits is not the same as alerting neighbors that a registered sex offender has moved into the area.