A birdcage liner in my county of Westchester, NY, The Journal News, has made national headlines by releasing the addresses of county residents licensed to own a handgun. The paper claims that in the wake of the Newtown shooting, citizens want to know more about the arsenals their neighbors may possess. Of course, the rag's real motivation is obvious: it wants to "out" firearms owners. The thinking is, "Hey, you want to own a gun? Then we're going to put you in the pusillanimous people's pillory, where all things manly and traditional belong." Hence the title of the Journal piece, "The gun owner next door," which could be followed with "The pedophile next door" or "The terrorist next door." Ooh, scary. I'm more worried about the journalist next door.
