New York paper posts names and addresses of gun owners

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Did they just publish the telephone directory?

[Kidlicious]

Hey now! The sex offenders have rights and dignity! You can't encourage vigilantism like that!

You can't seriously believe they were encouraging vigilantism. I've seen posts on fb to that effect, thus proving the absurdity of the idea.

[Kidlicious]

The only reason to publish this information is to encourage harassment of gun owners. There is no other coherent reason for wanting to have this information public.

On the contrary. It's the greatest troll of our time.

[Asher]

And knowing who the local gun owners are won't tell you that at all, because the chance of that happening is essentially zero. We have had what, two school shootings in the past 13 years? Something like that.

Two!

Oh, you were close!

The real number is a bit bigger than two. Twenty-four.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States#2000s

"Two" would be correct if we were referring to the last two months, not thirteen years.

The world kind of sucks when you don't have your head stuck up your ass, doesn't it?

[Asher]

Of course they have the right. That doesn't make it good judgment. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

For the record, Sloww is referring to the 2nd amendment here.

[Asher]

Is there any real journalistic purpose to the story and visual aid?

What is your point?

If we're talking about "any real purpose", that's a slippery slope for someone who advocates gun ownership.

[Ben Kenobi]

Weren't you against outing at one point in time.

[Asher]

Weren't you against outing at one point in time.

Well done, Ben. Outing someone as gay is comparable to listing people with federally registered firearms, is that what you're saying?

[Ben Kenobi]

Outing someone as gay is comparable to listing people with federally registered firearms, is that what you're saying?

I find it intriguing that you really have no problem with publishing personal information so long as they don't say that the person is gay.

[giblets]

Well done, Ben. Outing someone as gay is comparable to listing people with federally registered firearms, is that what you're saying?

Yes. Men own guns to reaffirm their masculinity, which they are insecure about because they're secretly gay.

[Asher]

I find it intriguing that you really have no problem with publishing personal information so long as they don't say that the person is gay.

It's not personal information. It's legal information. The government didn't send P.I.s into people's lives to find out if they own guns.

These people registered their firearms with the public government. The public government can do what they please with that information within the constitution. They are doing so.

It's completely different than the government outing someone that is gay.

[Asher]

If you want to know who is gay, just load Grindr on your iPhone (I assume you already have it, Ben). It's gaydar in the smartphone era.

You'd be surprised how many of my married neighbours or coworkers have shown up there.

[Docfeelgood]

Yes. Men own guns to reaffirm their masculinity, which they are insecure about because they're secretly gay.

I'm not gay, at least not now and I own guns.

[Docfeelgood]

I find it intriguing that you really have no problem with publishing personal information so long as they don't say that the person is gay.

Ben, do you dislike gay people?

[BlackCat]

Ben, do you dislike gay people?

Nah, Ben is a nice person, but unfortunately his religion tells him that his secret feelings are wrong