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 06.23.10
GUN OWNERS TO BE "OUTED" |
After
a lengthy legal battle the Oregon Appeals Court has ordered
the Sheriff of Jackson County to turn over the names, addresses
and phone numbers of concealed handgun license holders to the
Medford
Mail Tribune newspaper. You can read the decision here.
The paper demanded
the names in an effort to "out" teachers who had CHL's.
The paper initiated their demands after a local teacher was
harassed and threatened by the Medford School District when
they learned she had a permit to carry a concealed firearm.
In an effort to learn the names and addresses of other teachers
who had CHL's, they demanded that Sheriff Winters turn over
the personal information of CHL holders to the newspaper.
Winters refused and the Tribune sued him to get this personal
information. The lower courts decided that the Tribune should
have the names, which they would be free to publish.
Winters continued to refuse to disclose the sensitive information
and the case was appealed.
The Appeals Court has ruled in favor of
Bob Hunter, the Tribune's editor. Now the Tribune
is free to disclose the names, addresses and occupations of
CHL holders in Jackson County.
In 2009, Representative Kim
Thatcher introduced a bill
to protect this information, understanding that Oregon's
"open records" law was intended to keep the records
of the government's actions available,
not the records of law-abiding Oregonians who are compelled
by law to share their private data in order to exercise a "right".
Her bill, which had over 40 co-sponsors, was shot down by the
intervention of one Bend House Rep, Judy
Stiegler, who, after torpedoing the bill with amendments
that essentially gutted it, blamed voters
for the bill's failure.
On another note, it is possible that the NRA-sanctioned "Disclose"
bill may be up for a vote as soon as tomorrow. This bill would
silence almost every pro-gun group, except the NRA, who have
promised not to oppose it as long as they are "carved out"
of its mandates.
Consider this. The bill is in response to a Supreme Court ruling
stating that much of the "McCain Feingold" anti free-speech
bill is unconstitutional. After that ruling, the Democrats
in Congress sought to once again silence anyone who opposed
an incumbent.
The NRA signaled their opposition to this bill until a deal
was made to exempt them. They then agreed not oppose the bill,
throwing all other pro-gun organizations under the bus. That
much is not at issue. What continues to amaze us is that the
NRA says they were very vocal opponents of "McCain Feingold"
yet they are now the biggest cheerleaders for John McCain's
reelection.
McCain was part of a three million dollar campaign to cripple
gun shows in Oregon. Does this make sense to you? |
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© 2000 - 2010, Oregon Firearms Federation. All Rights Reserved.
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