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Fair and balanced debate on paper publishing gun owners

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    N.Y. county refuses to release names and addresses to newspaper

  • Duration 8:47
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Bring in Larry Pratt executive director of Gun Owners of America and Lori -- she is.

With the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Virginians for responsible gun laws thank you both for joining us.

Thank you for having me so I'll start with a simple question you both I'm sure I have heard the story David Lee Miller just reporting an air force should it Putnam county be forced to release these names Larry.

Well we -- very much opposed to that we don't see the public's interest in this it's not as if these people.

Have committed a crime that we do publish the names of sex offenders because they did commit a crime.

But and we shouldn't be viewing people who bought a gun.

And have gotten a permit is in the case of New York as having committed a crime this was done and and Virginia some years ago and the backlash.

Was so considerable that law was passed prohibiting the publication of this kind of information.

Doesn't mean that somebody couldn't find out.

About a particular individual but to just make it so that any stalker can find out where his ex has ended up -- what her new.

Address might be.

That's really dangerous.

-- where addresses and whether or not she has got to protect yourself -- what do you think.

Well I think this discussion and debate is is up to New Yorkers and New York State law and -- -- in New York to figure -- out but.

It really is an unnecessary distraction to the real issue at hand.

And that is the gun violence that increases in this country when we have porous laws.

Like no background checks on now and regulated sales and we need to do a better job with that with C on task at hand and that's to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands but -- York has a wonderful process New York.

Has -- licensing and registration process that thorough.

-- -- greatly works and that's part of that processing -- speaking out which is the bigger picture.

For this topic at hand should those names be published in -- newspaper.

-- you know I don't necessarily personally have a problem with those names being published may be some of the persons do registered and got licensed do.

I'm kind of confused at the mister Pratt in the gun lobby.

Four -- having a problem with gun -- being you know.

Put in the public purview.

When in fact they've constantly argue that gun ownership is safe you know these are -- people they've been through process and they're law abiding citizens so owning a gun should make them safe.

But Larry understand what the publication this would make them -- and it puts him in danger and ends.

Perhaps Larry -- -- how would that put them in danger.

Well -- perhaps more specifically the people in danger are the neighbors who don't show up on the list to.

Evidently don't have a gun for a home invader that's a much safer target.

Then the person who hasn't done listed at his house.

Is certainly if the gun owner.

Doesn't have a carry permit and -- away from the house in New York.

Then a criminal would know that there's probably a gun inside and that he can break in if no one's there he's pretty safe.

But otherwise the neighbor with no gun is very much at risk so this hasn't done any public service put a lot of people at risk.

And I wonder if the paper is going to pay for the damages that might occur when somebody is harmed because of what.

This newspaper has done.

And that's what I was wondering you know regardless it let's take -- -- scenario as you have a gunnery don't have a gun.

You know -- on this list say something happens where someone decides to break into your home to steal a gun because they know now that you have won there.

Where they decide to break into your home because they now know that you don't have a gun to protect yourself.

And there's an incident in the home and something happens someone's injured or hurt her or perhaps killed.

Then his held liable the county to release the names -- -- they held liable the newspaper itself for releasing the names to begin -- it just it creates a trickle down effect as well.

I think that's right now that the county might could claim sovereign immunity.

Legal fiction that politicians have created to protect themselves against the consequences of their own actions.

But the newspaper doesn't have that and that might make the newspaper particularly vulnerable.

As I think they should be and I don't think they considered that when they did it I I'm not really sure what.

Led them to do it may be the conviction that gun owners are evil people and we need to expose them for the terrible people that they are.

There's certainly doesn't seem to be any logical reason for having done this and I hope the that there's no reason this is the paper but of god forbid something were to happen I hope they lose at all.

Sorry I do I ask you this finally in and we have another topic that we're going to made two what about the rights of the private citizen.

Well I I understand the rights of citizens to own continent in the stated do you work.

Their license -- -- registered and they note knew this when they purchase the gun that this was in fact public information it's always been public information in the state in New York.

So to suddenly have a problem with it being public information -- I'm a bit confused you know at at the the it.

The issue at hand.

Whereas I think again I would like to say it's -- it's a distraction to the real issue at hand power and people who are dangerous -- -- felons and who are getting guns illegally.

How is that going on what are we doing about that you know -- And they're not -- -- that -- lose something.

Perhaps knowing that is public information and knowing that it's going to be class -- -- newspaper publicly are two different things.

One -- -- -- that he has also has a new controversy now over a de Moines register -- -- calls for violence against the NRA and Republican leaders in advocating for quote.

Radical measures to end gun violence.

Has this conversation just simply gone off the rails I want to pull up a couple of quotes from this opinion piece.

As it appeared the person that -- his name is David Kroll I have a copy -- -- Donald crawl.

And -- he said you know one of the disturbing place just one of them.

He said declare the NRA at terrorist organization and make membership illegal.

Hey we did it to the Communist Party and the NRA has led to the deaths of more of us -- American comedies ever did.

I would also raise organization's headquarters clear the rubble and -- the earth.

But that's optional make ownership of unlicensed assault rifles a felony if some people refuse to get up their guns.

That quote prying the guns from their cold dead hands thing.

Works for me.

Larry.

That is so over the top that I had to laugh when I -- read that before but.

It's still funny that somebody is so foaming at the mouth.

That an editor didn't catch that before it was published.

That they are exposing themselves for the loony tunes that apparently they are if they really think that way that is so amazing when you look at.

Those who -- Firearms legally in this country they're the choir boys of our society.

These are the men and women who do not commit crime.

Those who are licensed to carry such as those in New York commit men need fewer crimes than -- -- -- -- -- -- This kind of want to bring -- -- here because they're running out of time -- -- he said throw out the Second Amendment I'm paraphrasing also called for violence specifically against Mitch McConnell and John Boehner suggested tying them to back of the vehicle in dragging into the streets.

Well.

I don't condone violence in any way shape reform regardless of of who's doing the calling for that.

Violence it's it's unnecessary and and I would I would not called an area terrorists organization.

I would column and greedy organization.

-- Promote policies that sell more guns and that's that's the business there and they want to sell more guns they wanna make more money.

And they are frankly.

You know don't seem to care about the policies that lead to more deaths in this country.

Those states with better gun laws have fewer -- fewer deaths.

And those states with the weakest gun laws have the most gun deaths.

So there there is responsible gun ownership and there are -- way to do responsible on the gun laws like New York has done with licensing and registration.

And I'd like to call for more background checks we won a background check on on -- -- -- -- three out of four NRA members want that 82% of -- I happen again now know themselves OK thank you thank you -- much we appreciate well -- -- time but you have continue to talk about and the debate continues Larry and Laurie thank you so much we appreciate -- both sides let's see where things doesn't get so this now the new session to record a.

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