Local Ohio Newspaper Editor to Violate Privacy of Firearms Owners

Following the lead of the editors of The Roanoke Times, the editor of one of the local papers in this area, the Sandusky Register, has decided to infringe upon the privacy and security of over 2,600 concealed handgun license holders in several Northern Ohio counties by publishing their names in the Register:

In spite of many state legislators, county sheriffs and even Governor Strickland himself attempting to talk sense into him, Sandusky Register Editor Matt Westerhold has launched an all-out assault on the privacy and security of over 2,600 concealed handgun license holders in several Northern Ohio counties.

Citing a phantom "right to know", Westerhold, editor and self-appointed public records watchdog at the Register, published the list of CHL-holders from Erie, Huron, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The decision to make the lists available to readers was made by the Register's managing editor. All inquiries should be directed to 419-609-5866 or mattwesterhold@sanduskyregister.com

Please oblige Mr. Westerhold by submitting a letter to the editor on this issue.

Matt Westerhold transplanted his anti-concealed-carry agenda from his former job at the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, where he also ordered the publishing of law-abiding CHL-holders' names. More information on Westerhold will be made available in the coming days.

The "logic" behind his latest attack on gun owners' privacy was expressed in a June 10 editorial entitled "Taking aim at the public record".

Likening the decision to bear arms for self-defense to marriage licenses, court-related divorce records, political donations and salaries of public officials [ED.: I suppose that's an improvement over being likened to sex offenders], the editorial argues that concealed handgun license information should be public record. The editorial repeats a tired, false allegation that "in its present form, the conceal-carry law provides no public checks and balances to assure the gun program is being carried out responsibly." (The editorial omits any mention of the statistics which Ohio's 88 county sheriffs present to the Ohio Attorney General's office four times per year.)

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Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Catholic Priest Calls for "Snuffing" of Gun Shop Owner and Politicos Who Support 2nd Amendment

Virginia Tells NYC and Bloomberg to Pound Sand

Toledo Blade Editorialist Wants Forcible Dis-Arming of America's Citizenry

To Our European and Australian "Friends" ...

Roanoke Times Columnist Compares Law-Abiding Gun Owners to Sex Offenders, Publishes Their Names and Addresses