Why Does the A.P. Want A List of Illinois Gun Owners?

I was startled to see a story in today's Tribune that the Associated Press wants a list of all gun owners in Illinois and has filed suit under the Freedom of Information Act to get it.

And Attorney General Lisa Madigan, daughter of the most powerful Democrat in Illinois, House Speaker Michael Madigan, says sure, let's give it to them.

To own a gun in Illinois the state requires we register ourselves by obtaining a Firearm Owner Identification Card. The Illinois State Police, however, maintains the registry and has, apparently, taken issue with Madigan's order to release the information.

I agree with, and applaud, the State Police.

I can't think of any reason the A.P. would want the list other than to make it public. It's pretty obvious they want to do a story about the evil that lurks in every lawful gun owner's home. Probably in some misguided attempt to save us from ourselves. Their reason, of course, will be that they want to assure that the process is working as it should. How will they do that? Why publish the list, of course. Maybe run some random background checks, too.

First of all, that's an invasion of privacy. Second, it is an invitation to burglars everywhere, even though Madigan is quoted as saying gun owners' addresses should remain private. How long do you suppose it will take the media, with all the online data bases it has access to, to acquire every shred of information about individual gun owners that it wants?

Thus, burglars who are so inclined will know just where to go to get what they want.

Of course, any halfway intelligent thief will also understand that, if there's a gun in the house there's also a decent chance the owner of said firearm will choose to use it, rather than lose it.

It's the dummies I worry about. And there are far more stupid thieves than there are smart ones.

There are also the anti-gunners to worry about. What sorts of mischief will they cook up for us once they have our names?

This sort of ruling also makes me think the National Rifle Association and other groups are not so wrong in believing that liberal-leaning lawmakers would love to pass a law allowing the seizure of all firearms. Wouldn't this be a logical start to such a process?

Illinois already has among the toughest, if not the toughest, firearms laws in the United States.

Why put the lawful owners of firearms at risk of becoming victims of theft or worse by publishing a list that, rightfully, should remain private?