Journalist crosses the line...publishes CCW list of entire STATE - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Journalist crosses the line...publishes CCW list of entire STATE (Page 1 of 11)

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:00:50 PM EDT

Please...please let this guy know how you really feel

linky

Today is the start of Sunshine Week, the annual week in which we reflect on the importance of open government and public records. To mark the occasion, I want to take you on an excursion into freedom of information land. We're going to find out who in the New River Valley has a concealed handgun permit.

I can hear the shocked indignation of gun-toters already: It's nobody's business but mine if I want to pack heat.

Au contraire. Because the government handles the permitting, it is everyone's business.

There are good reasons the records are open to public scrutiny. People might like to know if their neighbors carry. Parents might like to know if a member of the car pool has a pistol in the glove box. Employers might like to know if employees are bringing weapons to the office.

And all Virginians have a stake in checking that their government is not making mistakes, for example, by issuing permits to convicted felons. Open records allow the media or any private citizen to check.

This is not about being for or against guns. There are plenty of reasons people choose to carry weapons: fear of a violent ex-lover, concern about criminals or worry that the king of England might try to get into your house. There are plenty of reasons to question the wisdom of widespread gun ownership, too.

But that's a debate for another time.

To illustrate the open government process, I set out to acquire permit lists for the New River Valley.

I first called the local circuit court clerks charged with overseeing permitting. They were helpful, as far as they could be.

Only Radford and Floyd County said they could produce a list. Giles County maintains an unofficial list but could not produce an official one. Montgomery and Pulaski counties had squat. The best they could do is determine if a specific individual had a permit.

None of that conflicts with the law. The records must be available but not necessarily in the format citizens want.

Fortunately, one of the clerks tipped me off to another avenue. The state police, she thought, maintained a master list.

I called Richmond and found out that yes, they did have a statewide list. Bingo!

Then another lesson of open government hit. A copy would cost more than $100.

Any Virginian can show up at a government office and request a public document. If it is something simple such as a council agenda, officials usually gladly duplicate it, maybe charging a few cents for the photocopy.

If it is something more complicated, government agencies may charge for the time and effort to prepare the records. In the case of concealed handgun permits, state police need to weed through them to cut out some personal data, which takes staff time.

A state that eagerly puts sex offender data online complete with an interactive map could easily do the same with gun permits, but it does not.

I bit the bullet and placed my order, saving the paper a few bucks by taking a Jan. 18 list officials had recently prepared for someone else.

The compact disc arrived last week. Names, addresses, issue and expiration dates.

About 2 percent of Virginians, 135,789 of us, have concealed handgun permits. In the New River Valley, 3,826 people have them, a slightly higher rate than in the rest of the state.

I immediately started checking some names. Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer, no permit. Pulaski County Supervisor Dean Pratt, packing. Radford University President Penelope Kyle, no permit. Giles County Supervisor Paul "Chappy" Baker, packing.

Some of the names proved tricky. Dana Dwayne Munsey of Pembroke has a permit. Is that Mayor Munsey? Standoffish town officials wouldn't provide a middle name or address for confirmation, and the listed phone number is disconnected.

The list sports a dismayingly large number of typos for an official registry -- four different spellings of "Christiansburg," for example.

Local celebrities generally don't carry, but at least a half dozen elected officials do. I'll leave it to readers to figure out which ones so you can avoid annoying them at meetings.

As a Sunshine Week gift, The Roanoke Times has placed the entire database, mistakes and all, online at www.roanoke.com/gunpermits. You can search to find out if neighbors, carpool partners, elected officials or anyone else has permission to carry a gun.

Open government laws arose from distrust of government. They guarantee citizens can watch what government does in their names, including issuing gun permits.

Trejbal is an editorial writer for The Roanoke Times based in the New River Valley bureau in Christiansburg.

Edited thread title to show its a list of Virginia, not just New River Valley!

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:02:21 PM EDT

[#1]

Find out info about the journalist and publish everything everywhere you go. This includes his SS# and home address.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:06:15 PM EDT

[#2]

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:07:02 PM EDT

[#3]

Great, now criminals know where they can go to steal guns. He's doing everyone a hell of a fucking public service. What a peice of shit.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:08:52 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Find out info about the journalist and publish everything everywhere you go. This includes his SS# and home address.

Exactly.

This is what I'd do selectively to paparrazzi who were stalking someone I was protecting: turn the relentless spotlight of investigation and publicity they wield on themselves. No one can withstand that kind of scrutiny.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:09:39 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Find out info about the journalist and publish everything everywhere you go. This includes his SS# and home address.

+1

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:09:45 PM EDT

[#6]

They just gave you excellent ammunition to
amend your state law to protect permit info.
Start now...while its fresh in everyones minds.
Also, IM me the name and newspaper of the reporter.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:09:47 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Find out info about the journalist and publish everything everywhere you go. This includes his SS# and home address.

Exactly.

This is what I'd do selectively to paparrazzi who were stalking someone I was protecting: turn the relentless spotlight of investigation and publicity they wield on themselves. No one can withstand that kind of scrutiny.

Roger that.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:11:19 PM EDT

[#8]

Yet another asshole who mentions gun owners and sex offenders in the same breath

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:11:21 PM EDT

[#9]

The first post in the "Comment on this article" link, is

For those law abiding citizens like me who don't appreciate our full names and addresses (whether they are former addresses or not) being posted online, let me me also "illustrate the open government process"

5.) Posting of someone else's personal contact information (home phone numbers, home addresses, unpublished e-mail addresses, and the like).

Now that the playing field is leveled, I would like to add that the freedom of information act is a necessary evil, posting personal information on the internet as a "Sunshine Week Gift" is not.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:11:50 PM EDT

[#10]

Scot Shippee
For those law abiding citizens like me who don't appreciate our full names and addresses (whether they are former addresses or not) being posted online, let me me also "illustrate the open government process"

5.) Posting of someone else's personal contact information (home phone numbers, home addresses, unpublished e-mail addresses, and the like).

Now that the playing field is leveled, I would like to add that the freedom of information act is a necessary evil, posting personal information on the internet as a "Sunshine Week Gift" is not.

Put better than I could.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:12:41 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Find out info about the journalist and publish everything everywhere you go. This includes his SS# and home address.

+1

What a fucktard..............

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:12:54 PM EDT

[#12]

Someone needs to make a list of all the crimes that employees of the media are convicted of. Maybe there are a few pervs, drunkards, wife beaters, thieves, traffic scofflaws and such in them. Then, publish that list. Or TRY to.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:12:55 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Find out info about the journalist and publish everything everywhere you go. This includes his SS# and home address.

+1

Include his editor and publisher/owner of the paper. Nothing happens on a paper without their ok.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:12:57 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
i44.photobucket.com/albums/f21/TangoSierra7/trejbal_100x135.jpg

That fucking worm looking rat motherfucker with his cuntlike smug smile.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:13:04 PM EDT

[#15]

Here's the comments section

Feel free to post a thought.

Looks like they've already got his address posted...this guy picked on the wrong demographic.

Edit: oops, beat by two minutes

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:13:35 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Find out info about the journalist and publish everything everywhere you go. This includes his SS# and home address.

+1

Include his editor and publisher/owner of the paper. Nothing happens on a paper without their ok.

+1

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:14:12 PM EDT

[#17]

If you want to get pissed at anyone, get pissed at the people that wrote the CCW law and let the permit lists become public record. Sure it's not cool that they printed it but it is public record so it's not like anyone couldn't check it anyway. Thats the bitch of having to have government permission to exercise a right protected by the constitution, something no American should have to do.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:16:00 PM EDT

[#18]

Can someone verify this info?

5.) Posting of someone else's personal contact information (home phone numbers, home addresses, unpublished e-mail addresses, and the like).

Make sure it's the right person.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:16:13 PM EDT

[#19]

What a huge piece of shit.

Time to do some searching of my own.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:17:27 PM EDT

[#20]

Zabasearch brings up two people with that name.. even a phone number

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:19:24 PM EDT

[#21]

VA has some anti stalking laws.

The CCW holders need to band together and higher a PI to get all the dirt and details on the writer of the article and the editors involved.

If that ever happens here I would put all of my discretionary funding into making that persons life hell.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:22:50 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
The first post in the "Comment on this article" link, is

For those law abiding citizens like me who don't appreciate our full names and addresses (whether they are former addresses or not) being posted online, let me me also "illustrate the open government process"
5.) Posting of someone else's personal contact information (home phone numbers, home addresses, unpublished e-mail addresses, and the like).

Now that the playing field is leveled, I would like to add that the freedom of information act is a necessary evil, posting personal information on the internet as a "Sunshine Week Gift" is not.

Where do his kids go to school? Where does his wife do their grocery shopping? What movies does he rent? How many beer/liquor bottles are in his garbage every week? What about empty prescription bottles? What organizations does he belong to?

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:30:36 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
VA has some anti stalking laws.

The CCW holders need to band together and higher a PI to get all the dirt and details on the writer of the article and the editors involved.

If that ever happens here I would put all of my discretionary funding into making that persons life hell.

I agree completely!!!!

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:31:03 PM EDT

[#24]

What a smug fucking piece of shit. BTW, google his address and you can get a map right to his house. Perhaps a letter campaign is in order? That son of a bitch.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:31:40 PM EDT

[#25]

Why do i see these poor souls getting mail from anti gun groups in the future. Or even possibly getting anti gun protestors sticking signs in their yards and door beating at their neighbors house.

Either way this gentleman went way to far i hope some of the people on this list file a law suit.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:35:23 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
Find out info about the journalist and publish everything everywhere you go. This includes his SS# and home address.

5.) Posting of someone else's personal contact information (home phone numbers, home addresses, unpublished e-mail addresses, and the like).

e-mail address: [email protected]

Roanoke Times
201 W. Campbell Ave.
P.O. Box 2491
Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491
Main Switchboard: (800) 346-1234 or (540) 981 3340

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:35:45 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:

Quoted:
VA has some anti stalking laws.

The CCW holders need to band together and higher a PI to get all the dirt and details on the writer of the article and the editors involved.

If that ever happens here I would put all of my discretionary funding into making that persons life hell.

I agree completely!!!!

+1 Yup me to. They should find out what kinda porn he orders and post that to, bet that would get under his skin

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:35:49 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
Find out info about the journalist and publish everything everywhere you go. This includes his SS# and home address.

That's the best idea....get all his info, date of birth, SS#, address, credit scores and such....post it on a website and watch the ID thieves go into a feeding frenzy....then see how he likes his "open government".

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:40:26 PM EDT

[#29]

I sincerely hop you guys down south do something to wresck this guys snide ass.

How can I keep this from happening up here in Michigan?

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:40:53 PM EDT

[#30]

the link is to the list of the entire STATE

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:41:56 PM EDT

[#31]

Big deal,

Local paper here published (on line) all pistol permit holders names in TWO COUNTIES!

Did it in an Excel document---how handy.

ETA: my bad! Misread title----understand he published the whole state. . . ok that trumps what the idiots up here did. . .

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:42:37 PM EDT

[#32]

Threw this at them - it's being "held for approval"

Mr. Trejbal:

I find your action, in general, both immature and irresponsible.

While you claim in your responses:

"I'm not arguing for or against concealed carry or guns in general here"

you certainly display either a underlying anti-gun bias or a underdeveloped sense of the ridiculous. As an example, after listing a valid reason (violent ex-lover or criminals) you toss in "(a) worry that the king of England might try to get into your house".

Oh, my... was that a joke, or an inference?

Why not just stick to the standard anti-gunner stance that we are all idiots, and while the 1st amendment protects _your_ right to publish such lists, use the internet and your computer, and the 4th protects the files on your hard drive, the 2nd only allows us to have flintlocks, since that's all that were around in the 1770's?

In addition, your bias, or outright fear of guns and the people who own them is demonstrated in the quotes:

"There are plenty of reasons to question the wisdom of widespread gun ownership, too."

and

"Local celebrities generally don't carry, but at least a half dozen elected officials do. I'll leave it to readers to figure out which ones so you can avoid annoying them at meetings."

When it can be demonstrated that laws actually stop criminals, maybe some folks will be willing to give up their concealed guns.

When the police departments are held liable for failure to intercede in, or prevent a criminal act, then maybe folks will give up their concealed guns.

When members of the media no longer print names and addresses of gun owners for potential criminals to make use of, then maybe folks will give up their concealed guns.

Those of us that have CHP's understand that, when it comes down to it, NOBODY is more responsible for our self protection than US.

And I believe that the various folks who actually file for a CHP are not criminals, and actually have more self restraint than most would-be "Dirty Harry's" media types such as yourself love to portray us as.

But if you truly are worried about "annoyed" people using their legally posessed handguns as you stated in your editorial, then I'd consider sleeping in a bank vault... it should offer more protection that the 1st Amendment and FOIA you wave about so freely as defense (and justification) for your actions.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:43:22 PM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
If you want to get pissed at anyone, get pissed at the people that wrote the CCW law and let the permit lists become public record. Sure it's not cool that they printed it but it is public record so it's not like anyone couldn't check it anyway. Thats the bitch of having to have government permission to exercise a right protected by the constitution, something no American should have to do.

Bullshit. That's his rationale for posting the list, "don't blame me for posting what I can get access to, I'll still do it even though I know it is wrong." Yea, root cause is the CCW laws but it doesn't excuse his use of the loophole to put peoples lives at risk.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:43:42 PM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
Big deal,

Local paper here published (on line) all pistol permit holders names in TWO COUNTIES!

Did it in an Excel document---how handy.

this is the WHOLE state of Virginia

Scott

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:45:20 PM EDT

[#35]

A google on this guy shows he is a far leftist on most issues.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:45:41 PM EDT

[#36]

He has an MA in Philosophy from U. of Minnesota. Graduated 2000.

I would do some investigative work along those lines.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:47:16 PM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
i44.photobucket.com/albums/f21/TangoSierra7/trejbal_100x135.jpg

Scot Shippee
For those law abiding citizens like me who don't appreciate our full names and addresses (whether they are former addresses or not) being posted online, let me me also "illustrate the open government process"

5.) Posting of someone else's personal contact information (home phone numbers, home addresses, unpublished e-mail addresses, and the like).

Now that the playing field is leveled, I would like to add that the freedom of information act is a necessary evil, posting personal information on the internet as a "Sunshine Week Gift" is not.

Put better than I could.

LOOKS LIKE A CHILD MOLESTER!OH MY NAMES NOT ON THE LIST, JUST THOSE THAT GOT THEIRS IN 2006,IT STILL PISSES ME OFF .

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:47:25 PM EDT

[#38]

E-mail fire mission, anyone?

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:48:51 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
i44.photobucket.com/albums/f21/TangoSierra7/trejbal_100x135.jpg

Scot Shippee
For those law abiding citizens like me who don't appreciate our full names and addresses (whether they are former addresses or not) being posted online, let me me also "illustrate the open government process"

5.) Posting of someone else's personal contact information (home phone numbers, home addresses, unpublished e-mail addresses, and the like).

Now that the playing field is leveled, I would like to add that the freedom of information act is a necessary evil, posting personal information on the internet as a "Sunshine Week Gift" is not.

Put better than I could.

"it" looks like a self-absorbed piece of shit to me.

(For the record, a journalist in New York did the same thing this guy did.)

Burn him at the stake!

How about posting in the Carry Issues forum and linking to this thread?

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:52:04 PM EDT

[#40]

This is a really stupid trend, and wholly unoriginal - this has happened multiple times before.

What a fucking amateur.

Anyway, if it were up to me, I'd personally deliver a letter showing my disapproval to his house. If at all possible, personally to him.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:54:33 PM EDT

[#41]

I regard this journo's actions as very low brow. He could have very well published the article without releasing that info. That was a very low act. Freedom of Imformation laws are a good thing, but not when used in this manner...

Betch he's on holidays now but....

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:54:40 PM EDT

[#42]

I tried posting a comment over there under my real name..figured my surname would get his attention...No luck

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:58:04 PM EDT

[#43]

The idiot works for The Roanoke Times...published and staffed by a bunch of libs who will do whatever is necessary to hurt conservatives and gun owners.

Is anyone really surprised that they would publish such a story? I sure as hell am not.

I gaurantee that once the shitstorm hits the editor and publisher of the Times, they will spin it to their advantage and write another story about how the original story was published to stir up opinion in the valley.

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:59:34 PM EDT

[#44]

What a dirtbag

Posted: 3/11/2007 4:59:37 PM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:
The first post in the "Comment on this article" link, is

For those law abiding citizens like me who don't appreciate our full names and addresses (whether they are former addresses or not) being posted online, let me me also "illustrate the open government process"

5.) Posting of someone else's personal contact information (home phone numbers, home addresses, unpublished e-mail addresses, and the like).

Now that the playing field is leveled, I would like to add that the freedom of information act is a necessary evil, posting personal information on the internet as a "Sunshine Week Gift" is not.

ETA- Another poster here posts a different address-
CHRISTIAN J TREJBAL Born Sep 1970
2502 FAIRWAY DR SW
ROANOKE, VA 24015

The one I got was his old address, according to him.....

Scott

Posted: 3/11/2007 5:00:44 PM EDT

[#46]

I think the VCDL will be heard. There are real reasons why people don't want their names and addresses published.

Posted: 3/11/2007 5:03:08 PM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:
E-mail fire mission, anyone?

My first e-mail:

Since you feel it is necessary to post my private information on the internet, Here is a little something I found interesting:

CHRISTIAN J TREJBAL Born Sep 1970
2502 FAIRWAY DR SW
ROANOKE, VA 24015

Wonder how many places I can post it.....

Scott

His reply:

Mr. Hewitt,

Thank you for reading my column and taking the time to respond. You are welcome to post that, albeit outdated, information anywhere you wish. My home address is a matter of public record.

Have a nice day.

--
Christian Trejbal
Editorial Writer
The Roanoke Times

My Second E-mail:

Oh, is it this one, then?!?!?

CHRISTIAN J TREJBAL
675 SCHOOL LN
CHRISTIANSBURG, VA 24073

You mention in your "article" that some women have CHPs to protect themselves from violent stalkers and exes. Then post their home addresses. I guess you see no problem with that, either. There might be a difference, to honorable people, between something being public record and going out of your way to endanger people who being stalked by posting their info on the internet. I won't be actually adding your address to my MySpace and other webpages. After consideration. It's just the level of irresponsibility to the public good you committed under the guise of "reporting news" upset me. If just one woman is found and killed by her stalker, will that even bother you?

Scott

__________________
I'd rather hunt with Dick Cheney than ride with Ted Kennedy.

Posted: 3/11/2007 5:09:06 PM EDT

[#48]

If you google this asshat’s address then hit the “find business” button then type in pizza you would be amazed with what comes up. I’m just saying.

Posted: 3/11/2007 5:10:00 PM EDT

[#49]

This guy has absolutely no concern for other people's safety. I would feel, if I lived in Virginia, this guy would be threatening my safety as well as my families safety.

Posted: 3/11/2007 5:13:35 PM EDT

[#50]

Stop playing with the asshole and get with some other VA CCW holders and spring for a PI.

Maybe you could snag his trash for a couple of weeks and build a profile on his medications and purchasing habits.

Then take all the info a make a website on it.

edited to add

Then send him a folder with all of his public information in it.

A profile of his purchasing habits, SSN, Medications and Diseases that they treat, Home Phone and Address, Family and Associates, what he owns, associations he is a member of, associations he was involved with in college.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Journalist crosses the line...publishes CCW list of entire STATE (Page 1 of 11)

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