Permit Database to Be Taken Down
by Robert Russo
Holders of concealed handgun permits in VA can now rest easy that their information in public hands won't be used against them, as it was announced Saturday attorney general Bob McDonnell is against all public access to the database. Although his opinion by itself is not law, it's almost certainly a prelude to law as the ranking legal counsel in the state.* This follows the publication of 135,000 names from police records by the Roanake Times last month, and the uproar bringing national attention along with such incidents as Sen. Webb's aide arrested for carrying a pistol in a Senate building last week**, a DC radio critic's statements turned against him when his own private information was released***, retaliation against the Roanoke Times itself****, and actual cases of permit holders being targeted (such as paroled criminals looking up the home addresses of police officers).***
Gun rights is the #1 topic of discussion on this site and is monitored by almost all posters who could probably correct me on many of the finer details, but I will say this. All libertarians should back Jim Webb for taking the flak on gun rights, his role in the changing of the guard in the Senate, and for just being an anti-Bush democrat from Virginia entering an arena that doesn't seem to allow that choice of representatives. From DC he and the rest of this state seem to be viewed as a bunch of gun-toting hillbillies, for what reason would a congressman possibly have for bringing a gun to the office? Until they turn on CNN and remember that off-duty cops have permits, and women with active restraining orders have permits, and maybe some of the people they know have permits. It's the same reason people forget some citizens can't wear seatbelts, and some keep unusual pets, and some have to walk through metal detectors on an artificial leg. It's ignorance.
McDonnell's reasoning for the decision is that files recorded for investigative purposes don't fall under the First Amendment or Freedom of Information Act.* The one bad side is that we ourselves won't have access to this list either for mailings, political research etc. and neither will the Virginia Citizens Defense League which has been the primary fighter in this battle. For updates on gun-related issues I subscribe to VA-ALERT at www.vcdl.org/static/va-alert.html, where the CNN report can also be viewed.
*http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173350626414
**http://www2.vcdl.org/webapps/vcdl/vadetail.html?RECID=1216705
***http://www2.vcdl.org/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/vcdl/vadetail.html?RECID=1216705&FILTER=
****http://www2.vcdl.org/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/vcdl/vadetail.html?RECID=1429153&FILTER=
Question of the Week: Is there a down side to supporting Sen. Webb or even Gov. Kaine on issues we commonly support or oppose? Is each individual Libertarian safe in judging the issues for ourselves as individualism dictates, or do we risk being sucked up by the Democrats? Send your opinions to henrico@richmondliberty.org.
If you have topics of interest to Libertarians please let us know. We welcome your input!