Annenberg Classroom - Speak Outs - Should gun owners’ identities be kept secret?

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Should gun owners’ identities be kept secret?

If someone on your block is a registered gun owner, would you want the right to know?

Let’s turn the tables. Say you or your parents owned a gun for safety and protection. Would you want everybody to know?

In the state of Illinois, all firearms owners are required to register with the state – and get a Firearms Owners Identification card. In February, Attorney General Lisa Madigan ruled that the names of those cardholders are public information under the Freedom of Information Act. State police had refused to release the information in response to an Associated Press request, citing privacy and safety concerns.

A majority of the state’s House of Representatives disagree. State Rep. Richard Morthland told WREX-TV, “This could lead to a situation, where you have people who are gun owners and who are afraid that somebody who approaches their house might … try to take their guns away from them. And it is just better to have that information private.”

Morthland introduced a bill that would keep the identities of authorized gun owners private – unless those gun owners are under criminal investigation. His bill passed the state House last week in a 98-12 vote; it awaits a hearing in the Senate.

The country’s first open-records law was passed by Wisconsin after it became a state in 1848. But after the Watergate scandal in 1972, more states began passing open-records laws to hold their governments and leaders accountable. An open-records law at the national level, the Freedom of Information Act, was signed in 1966 by President Lyndon Johnson and is administered by the United States Office of Information Policy.

“I appreciate the work of the attorney general,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times. “But there is a pressing need to keep this information private. It would create a situation where there’d be increased possibility for gun violence in the State of Illinois should this not pass.”

Morthland’s colleagues in the House who supported the bill also cited privacy concerns – that Firearms Owners Identification card applicants have “an expectation of privacy” and that private citizens should not be subject to public scrutiny. State Rep. Michael Tyron raised the question of whether the ID cards are even constitutional.

“Telling me I have to have a card to carry a gun is an infringement of my Second Amendment right,” Tyron told WREX-TV.

But Madigan – and those on her side of the argument – feel that carving out a privacy exception just for gun owners goes against the state’s open-records law, which makes any official state documents open for scrutiny by either the public or the press.

State Rep. Lou Lang voted against bill because he wants the state’s laws to be consistent. In an interview with the Sun-Times, he said he still would have voted no “if the bill just took out all the dentists or all insurance agents or all pawnbrokers and set those people aside and said their lists aren’t available.”

State Rep Sara Feigenholtz took it further and said the law would create a bigger threat to public safety than making gun owners’ names available to the public.

“I think it is very important for us to have access to some of this information to get down to some people who may have acted inappropriately with their [Firearms Owner Identification] cards,” she told WREX-TV. “Where a trail on a crime gets cold because of lack of information.”

What do you think?

Should gun owners’ identities be kept private? Do you think that making their identities available to the public would lead to increased gun violence? Do gun owners have “an expectation of privacy” when they apply for their permit? Or is it wrong to single out one group for an exemption from open-records laws? Should those records remain open in the interest of protecting public safety? Join the discussion!

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Comments

5/7/2012
Porterville/CA

Mario
Smith/Monache
The identities of gun owners should be dealt with by the owners themselves. If they want to be open with their identities, then they should be open. There should be a law demanding their identities to be revealed unless approved by the owners. In a way, it would be an invasion of privacy; revealing things not necessary to show to the public.

11/28/2011
Mentor/Ohio

Tom
Mr. Lefler/Mentor High
I do feel that gun ownership is right amongst Americans, both for hunting and for protection of property. People against gun ownership clearly do not have a respect for the common protection of their right given to them in the Second Amendment.

10/7/2011
Sidney, MT

Kody
Fontana
Owning a gun is your own personal business and I think that others dont have to know if you do or don't own a firearm.

10/7/2011
Sidney MT

Wade
Mr. Faulbhorer
I do not think that it should be public knowledge where or not you or your family own a firearm. It is no different than any other weapon, such as a bat or knife. You dont have to register those item so why would you need to register a gun. That is your own personal property and nobody needs to know about your pivate life. Although, if you are a repeat offender for a gun crime, then mabey you should have to register and everyone should know, just like a sex offender would have to do.

10/7/2011
Sidney/MT

Nicole R.
Mr. Faulharber/ Sidney High School
I feel that gun owners' identities should be kept secret. I feel this way, because guns can be used for saftey and used for hunting. I feel that if people were required to get Firearms Owners Identification card it would put there lives in danger. We have the right to have something to protect ourselves without the rest of the world knowing.

5/24/2011
Irving/Tx

Ashley J
Bradley/Nimitz
I don't understand why someone would need to know information such as who owns a gun. I believe if they are a registered and legitimate gun owner, that should be enough. Holding that kind of information as public might actually have the reverse desired effect. Letting people know who has a gun and who doesn't make it easier for criminals to perform violent crimes. If guns are for protection, half of the protective advantage is the element of surprise.

5/24/2011
Irving/ Texas

Dalton E.
Bradley/ Nimitz High School
Gun owner's identities should be kept private because it will increase the amount of crime. Say if a man decides to a rob a house, would he pick a house with a register gun owner, or one with no guns? Releasing information on who's got the gun will not increase gun violence. There should be no exception if the law states that all state official records go public then they need to go public, if they do not like it, replace the law. We will never know if releasing gun owner's identities is against public safety unless we have prove, you can take precautions but it will never guarantee safety.

5/24/2011
Irving/TX

Stephanie S.
Bradley/Nimitz
Gun owner identities should be private, most of the people that have guns have it only for protection and a way to be safe in their homes and is obvious that if people know (for example) that I have a gun they are going to act different with me and if something happens around the neighborhood or the place where I was in the moment where something bad happen they are going to blame it on me since they know I have a gun and they can make their own ideas about it or maybe people could attack me; we never know. So in my opinion is better if we remain this secret because its better for you, me and the society.

5/24/2011
Irving/TX

Demi S.
Bradley/Nimitz High School
Personally, I think whether or not gun owners' wish to have their privacy opened up to the public for viewing should be up to them. In order to even get a gun, a person is forced to fill out an application and pay a good amount of money- a process which causes many to not be gun owners. Since those who apply obviously feel the need to be in possession of a gun, I feel that it should be up to them to decide whether or not they wish the public to know that they have a gun in their possession. A solution would be to maybe add it as a question on the application for a license. I strongly believe that gun owners have “an expectation to privacy” when they apply for a permit because being gun owners does not subject them to becoming any less of a citizen or person. As for the heightened gun violence that may come with making identities public, I do believe that those who wish to make their identities public also place themselves at a higher risk for burglary or crime.

5/23/2011
Irving/TX

Brittany P
Bradley/Nimitz
Yes, gun owners identities should be kept a secret unless they are a criminal or a person facing criminal charges. This ensures that the owners of the guns are not treated differently, or even attacked by other gun owners. This also raises an increase in break-ins as a person may be in need of a gun, and the release of gun owners names now gives direct places to find the guns. If a person wants to own a gun, then let them own a gun! Since some gun owners applied for a gun permit before this proposed law, they were not expecting their names to be released which would lead them to disagree on thier names being released.

5/13/2011
Philadelphia/PA

Terrell
Agnew/Overbrook
I think if someone on my block is a registered a gun owner then that's their business. I feel as though they are just protecting their home and family . I think if you are a gun owner on a block it can be kept private because if it gets to one person on the block then it gets to the whole neighborhood. You can't trust too many people. It is best to keep it to yourself. Also, making identities available to the public could increase the violence. This information should be kept in your household.

5/13/2011
Irving, TX

Baldemar Martinez
Bradley/Nimitz
I believe the secret of having a hand gun should be kept secret to the public for there are more reasons that it can be dangerous to the public. Crooks can easily obtain a gun from braking in to a home and a new higher level of crime rate will be born. Police and other enforcement offices should have all the right to know if a citizen is carrying a gun that has a criminal background, and to keep in update of weapons that can match in a crime seen. In conclusion to the matter, police enforcement, and other government agencies will be more efficient in work procedures; knowing if a offender has a weapon to take caution. In this matter peoples privacy can be respected to a certain level and the government has record of open weapons in the United States, and the movement of weapons.

5/12/2011
Irving, TX

Andrea C
Bradley/Nimitz
The fact that you feel you need a gun, suggests that you don't feel safe and worry about protecting yourself and loved ones. Why do you want that to be kept private? It's not as if when you buy a guy in addition to them having you on record, they ask you where you plan on keeping the weapon. That is still private, so no one can take advantage of you in that regard. As for people previously convicted of crimes- it's a no brainer! They should definitely be kept on record, if even allowed to purchase a firearm. I don't think this would encroach upon people's Constitutional rights. It's only a slight amendment saying that you are on a list of people with registered guns. In actuality this is much safer than if you have a gun that no one but you knows about.

5/12/2011
Irving/Tx

Jincy
Bradley/Nimitz
I think that gun owner identities should be kept private. I mean thats part of the reasons half the people who own guns have them. If the identities of gun ownersgo public then that would lead to an increase in gun violence and burglary.It just gives people more of a motive to go down a street and just take the gun from the old lady rather than buying one themselves and having to go through the hassle of having their names registered.Which basically leads to more and more gun thefts. Also by making gun owner identities public, is like the government saying it doesnt trust people enough to let them have their privacy which would lead to more people getting guns because they wont end up trusting their neighbors and friends who already have guns.

5/10/2011
Irving/TX

Katy P.
Bradley/Nimitz
I am kind of half and half on the situation. I believe that the gun owners do have a right to privacy. They should not have to be exploited just because they own a gun. I do believe that it could cause more gun violence because if people knowingly go onto a persons property that owns a gun, then they would more than likely carry a gun onto the property if they own one. If the list of gun owners is public, then a criminal can look up the information and see what houses to avoid when he plans to commit a robbery. This is where I am skeptical, because if a list is posted, then I think the crime rate might drop, but not everybody has a gun, so some people's chances of being a crime victim could increase. Then State Rep. Michael Tyron has an excellent point as well. When a person registers for a permit, is it going against the second amendment? This is a very complex situation in my eyes. Overall I think that the names of gun owners should remain under government and public safety knowledge only.

5/10/2011
Irving/TX

Josh J
Bradley/Nimitz
Gun owner identities should not be kept a secret, but just on a need to know basis. I believe that a person should have a license to buy a weapon so that the chance of misuse might be lowered. If the names of the people who own guns are kept on restricted access, then no releases of the names could be filtered out into the public, which could possibly frighten some people and maybe have people think of them differently. I also believe that some assuming would happen when someone compares people who live in the same neighborhood and they all seem to own guns. Only the police and other authorities should have the right to look at the names, a general area of ownership could be released to the people just so they know if they are living in a gun infested neighborhood or not.

5/10/2011
Irving/Tx

Shelby Z.
Bradley/Nimitz
I think that gun owners have the right to keep their identities and information private. If they don't want that information shared it shouldn't be. Owners may have many different reasons for wanting privacy, including dangerous situations. So I agree with State Representative Richard Morthland that identities of authorized gun owners should be kept private unless those gun owners are under criminal investigation.

5/6/2011
MT

Cole
Sidney High School
Gun owners identities should be kept secret. Its the owners business nobody elses they dont need to know how many guns you own or even just that you own guns its your privacy. By telling everybody how many guns you own and its a lot somebody could be like hey he has a lot of guns probably some money too i say we break into that house. This would just couse problems with everybody and how many guns they own it would cause more problems then good.

5/6/2011
Irving, TX

Bailey M
Bradley/ Nimitz High School
Gun owner identities should be kept private, because there would most likely be an increase in violence due to the release of this information. The state is trying to keep the people of Illinois safe by telling them who the gun owners are, but this will work in the opposite way and create more problems. I would be nervous to leave my house if people knew that I had guns, because there would be people trying to break into my house to get the guns. There would also be less and less people telling the government that they own guns, because they don't want everyone to know that they have them. The state should keep this information private.

5/4/2011
Irving/TX

Sharon J.
Bradley/Nimitz
One of the ideas that our government is based on is giving up certain freedoms to gain and protect others, but there is a line that should not be crossed. That line exists between what is necessary and what is not. It is not necessary to reveal to the public who owns guns and who doesn't. I do believe that making gun ownership public knowledge will not increase gun violence, and just cause you know your neighbor owns a gun or not will not change the your neighbors intentions in using that gun. However, I do strongly believe that gun owners should have an “expectation of privacy”. To release this information to the public would do nothing but make everyone paranoid. “What you don't know cant hurt you”.

5/4/2011
Sidney/MT

Elizabeth
faulhaber/Sidney High School
I think that gun owners identities should be kept secret. I think that it is an invasion of privacy. I also think that it would cause panic. I think that neighbors would be cautious of each other and trust would not be created in communites. I think that everybody would think that everybody else is out to get them. Also I think there would be more gun accidents because people will think they need to acquire a gun because their neighbors have one.

5/3/2011
Irving/TX

Hector G
Bradley/Nimitz
I do think that gun owners, whom have not used guns unlawfully in the past, should have their identities kept private unless all records are made public as well. There sholdnt be an exception on the releas of gun owner's information but allowing it to be contradictory and keep other occupations; such as "dentists or all insurance agents or all pawnbrokers" are allowed to be kept secret. But it seems unrational that people with guns woould be more likely to become the target of theft if it is known that they have a weapon on their premises, on the contrary it may make it safer. Juat like a patient whom may have patient's confidentiallity, gun owners should also be allowed to have an "expectation of privacy".

5/2/2011
Irving/TX

Jennifer
Bradley/Nimitz
I think that it is in everyone's best interest if gun owner's were able to keep their identities private. By releasing that kind of information to the public, uncalled speculation and suspicion would most definitely occur. Yes, I do believe that unveiling gun owner's identities would cause an increase in gun violence. I agree with Morthland in that this might even lead to people stealing guns from gun owner's homes. Gun owners most certainly deserve to have an expectation of privacy at the time of applying for their permit, because they are the only ones who know the reasons behind their purchase, and this information should not be be released to anyone else.

4/30/2011
Irving/Tx

Richard L
Bradley/Nimitz
I believe that gun owners’ identities should be kept private for safety issues. If this information is released to the public, it will be a lot more dangerous because criminals can easily target homes that do not have firearms, increasing the crime rates. Every gun owners deserve to have “an expectation of privacy” when they apply for their permit because no one wants their information handed out to the public. Do we really want to expose what we possess to the public? I do not see any good reasons why people will even want this information out in the public. If I knew my neighbors had a gun, I will sort of fear them instead of feeling welcome. Therefore, gun owners’ identities should be kept private and only be released to proper authorities like the law enforcements.

4/27/2011
Irving, TX

Mauricio N.
Bradley/ Nimitz High School
Gun owners' identities should be kept private. We need to know who is in the middle of nowhere hunting deer or if he is even using it for a rightful purpose. I do not see how this violates the second amendment since Illinois government is only asking for identification rather than rejecting the man the arm. This would most likely help solve many criminal cases and, make this state a safer place. However, this information should not be spilled to the public, only to the appropiate authorities.