VA CCW list published by Roanoke Times 3/11

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My response from GM

Dear Mr. Kludge,

Good Evening.. Thank you for contacting the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center regarding our Chevrolet vehicle is being advertised at www.weather.com. I appreciate hearing your thoughts and having the opportunity to review your concerns.

General Motors wants you to know that we carefully evaluate all of our sponsorship and marketing activities to make sure that they meet our high standards for quality and appropriateness. We also believe that our efforts should reflect current standards of good taste for a variety of diverse audiences.

At General Motors, we recognize that individuals have many different views. Thank you for sharing yours with us.

Feedback from customers, such as you, is very helpful to us. We have documented your concerns and will be forwarding your comments to the appropriate department for their consideration. Thank you again for taking the time to let us know how you feel.

If you should need to contact us in the future, simply reply to this message or
call our Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-222-1020. Customer
Relationship Specialists are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to
11:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

For more information regarding the maintenance and care of your vehicle, please visit www.mygmlink.com. This free online service offers vehicle and ownership-related information and tools tailored to your specific Chevrolet.

Again, thank you for contacting Chevrolet

Sincerely,

The Chevrolet Consumer Support Team
 
First published Sunday, the database of more than 135,000 people allowed to carry concealed handguns has become the most controversial content in roanoke.com's history
Click to expand...


I don't think it was all THAT controversial...from the comments posted in response to the column I think the opinion is pretty darn near unanimous that posting the database was a spectacularly bad idea.
 
So, the company endangers women, and it knows it.
Click to expand...
Nope, we had no idea that unlisted numbers would be included in the data we bought.

The INSTANT it was brought to our attention we fixed the problem (we removed those listings from the online version of our phone book. Next step is to get the list of unlisted numbers from the local phone company in order to remove them from our database ... they aren't cooperating).


At any rate, I only bring this up because there are many out there saying there should be law suits, and I'm telling you that suing the Roanoke Times would be fruitless.


The best tactic is to go after their advertisers ... and getting the offenders fired.
 
Received Info from the VA State Police

I received a response to a letter I wrote to the VA state police asking about the Commonwealth's policies toward FOIA and CWP Holders:

Dear Mr,

The following opinion by the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council may be of interest to you:
http://dls.state.va.us/groups/foiacouncil/ops/01/AO_16.htm.

You may wish to express your concerns with your local legislative representative.

I trust this information will be of assistance to you.

Sincerely,
Donna K. Tate, Manager
Firearms Transaction Center
Virginia Department of State Police
Tel: (804) 674-2210
Fax: (804) 674-2791
[email protected]

The above link is worth reading, but long to post here. The article is a response to a 2001 letter from a woman who after getting a CWP began receiving letters in mail to "attention gun owner". She obviously wanted to know who sold or gave out this information.

The most interesting passage I thought was this:

"By way of background to your question, you indicate that you possess a concealed handgun permit. In the past several months, you have received solicitations and political announcements addressed to "Virginia Gun Owner" and "Concealed Handgun Permit Holder." In an effort to determine how these solicitors obtained your name and address, you contacted the court that issued your permit. You state that the clerk's office told you that it no longer makes public the names of permit holders, but suggested that you contact the State Police because they also maintain that information. Upon inquiry to the State Police, you discovered that they consider the names and addresses of permit holders to be a matter of public record available under FOIA."

What's disturbing to me, is that the clerks office (the court itself) does not consider CWP information public, but the VA State Police does. I made phone calls this morning to my surrounding counties: Shenandoah, Rockingham, Augusta, and Page. All four counties I contacted do NOT give out or make public CWP information. Each clerks office did not know of any clerks office in VA that did. So in reading/seeing this, it seems that our local courts DO NOT feel that CWP information should be public, but the State Police Does. Anyone writing to their legislators may find this information helpful.
 
E-mail I received from Senator Puller's office. Keep up the push!

It is, as you observed, too late for legislation this year. But Senator Puller, after reading your email, said that she would be willing to consider entering the legislation you have requested for the next session. First, however, she and eveyoen else in the legtislature have to get through the next election.

But contact us again in the Fall. Give us a week or two after the election to catch our breaths, and then email again.

Kate Morosoff
Legislative Aide
 
Good info Shooting Ace,

Another bit of information I'd like to see is states that have passed laws restricting the release of CWP holders, I've read about a couple on here, and other boards, but does someone have/know of a list of states with such existing laws?

I've always seemed to get a better response from legislators if I include existing case law. I think gives them a warm and fuzzy feeling as well.
 
Yes, it's too bad the legislative session has ended for this year at such a critical juncture for the 2A community.

I, on the other hand, am preparing our next best attack; targeting the RT's advertisers. Sometime this evening I am going to post a MASSIVE email list of as many RT advertisers I can find. My project is well underway, but there is still plenty to do. I'm HOT over the fact that there have been NO apologies or any other actions (terminations). We've only received additional contempt and disdain. It's time to inflict great pain on the RT's wallet.

Please keep an eye out for my posting later today and PLEASE email these advertisers and have your friends and family do the same. I'll enter my post in the most user-friendly format my computer skills allow. This has to be a collective, strong effort and we cannot afford to lose the momentum gained earlier this week. Thanks for your help in advance!

Jeff
 
Response to one of my emails:

"We have received your e-mail regarding the Concealed Handgun Permit database, and your comments are important to us.


We removed the database from our website on Monday afternoon. At this time, we have no plans to publish this information again.



Our editorial content this week will continue to promote Sunshine Week, and the importance of open government and public records.



Regards,



Dan Radmacher

Editorial Page Editor

The Roanoke Times"
 
I received the same canned response as AntiqueCollector from Dan Radmacher. Here was my response.

Dan,

Thank you for your response. I appreciate the concept of Sunshine Week. I however do not appreciate a journalist manipulating the concept for the purpose of his own agenda. This article was obviously about Christian Trejbal’s dislike for the 2nd Amendment. From the title of the article, “Shedding light on concealed handguns”, to the comparing law abiding citizens to sex offenders shows clearly this was not about Sunshine Week.

I find it ironic that the Terms and Condition on you website state “We will not disclose any personal information without your advance written permission except when the law requires us to do so or the disclosure is necessary to protect the rights or property of Times-World Corp.” I have not given your company permission to disclose my information and I fail to see how the law required you to do so or it was necessary to protect the rights or property of Times-World Corp. That being Said, Christian Trejbal is in violation of your own policy over 135,000 times. This should be grounds alone for his dismissal from your company. Until such time that you make it public that Christian Trejbal has been held accountable for his actions and fired I will continue to contact your advertisers and the advertisers of your parent company and continue to let them know that I will not do business with them while they advertise with your company.

Good day.
 
Well, you're better with words than me. I didn't appreciate the response at all, and just bluntly gave some of my opinions of him; my response:

"Ain't good enough you worthless commie carpetbaggers. You put countless lives in danger and gave untold numbers of criminals info. on where to go to get guns to put others in danger too, everyone involved in publishing it needs to be fired immediately. Anyone who is a victim of a crime because of the recent actions, I hope, sues you in relation to it, just as someone is held responsible for shouting "fire" in a crowded room, you are responsible for your part in this crime. Even if you win every lawsuit filed, you can be bankrupted fighting them. Just because something can be published doesn't mean you, though stupidity or intent, do it and endanger people. Such a shame Joe McCarthy ain't still around rooting out commies like you who work to destroy America."
 
Got the same BS message.

My Response:

Mr. Radmacher,

I also appreciate the importance of open government and public records. I also appreciate common sense, and respect the concept of ethics in journalism. Your department seems to appreciate nor respect either. There is a reason police departments do not publish a list of their officers home addresses. There is a reason your paper does not publish a public directory of your employee's home addresses. Is it possible to ascertain this information? Yes, of course, but putting it into an easily searchable database is reckless and irresponsible. Why not publish historical documents released through FOIA, or current relevant statistical data? The sex offender registry exists as a searchable database to HELP law abiding citizens. Publishing the CHP database has no other purpose but to HURT people. You approved a shock article for the purpose of driving people to your website. You could have just as easily put up statistics of CHP holders (numbers in areas, not names and addresses) and it would have made the editorial an interesting and relevant read. Instead you decided to offend, and potentially endanger law abiding citizens of the Commonwealth. Your reckless and unethical practices exemplify what is wrong with the media today. Someone in your office needs to take responsibility for their actions; this can come from a large print public apology, resignation, or firing. Until this is done, I and many others will continue writing to your advertisers, and let them know we will NOT do business with them until someone takes responsibility.

Regards,
 
One thing I forgot to put in my letter (someone else might want to use it): I find it interesting that when a person is accused of a crime, any ethical paper only publishes the name of the accused, and sometimes their town/city/county of residence. Basically by publishing the CHP database the RT is saying that they respect the rights of the accused more than the rights of ordinary law abiding citizens! :fire:
 
Are there any Boston Legal watchers out there? Is it just me or does Christian Trejbal remind you of Lincoln Meyers? I can just here him, Mr. Dirty Pants Gun Owner!
 
Roanoke Times advertisers email list

Hi Folks,

Here is my first compiled list of advertiser email addresses for the Roanoke Times. There will eventually be a second list, but it may be a day or two in coming because it takes a VERY LONG time to compile such a list. Please notice that at the bottom of the list are RT email addresses. You may want to CC: all of these RT pinheads so they can get a gander at the number of advertisers we are contacting.

If you would like to use it, here is a sample form letter to email to the RT's advertisers:

Dear Roanoke Times Advertiser,

In case you are unaware, on Sunday, March 11, 2007, The Roanoke Times online newspaper, www.roanoke.com, published an opinion-editorial piece under the guise of extolling the virtues of Sunshine Week, a celebration of open government and public records. The article was authored by Christian J. Trejbal and titled, "Shedding Light on Concealed Handguns." The article may be found here: http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/trejbal/wb/108160

Mr. Trejbal and the editorial staff at the Roanoke Times took the occasion of this article to reveal the full names and HOME addresses of 135,789 Virginians who legally possess Concealed Handgun Permits (CHPs) while sanctimoniously equating these CHP licensees to sex offenders in regard to the level of danger they pose to the public. CHPs are acquired by retired police officers, judges, prosecutors, civilians in hiding from abusive ex-spouses/ex-lovers, and those Virginians wishing to carry a firearm for no other reason than general self-protection. The Roanoke Times personally hosted, on its website, a searchable database of ALL Virginia CHP licensees without regard to the licensees' safety or the safety of their families. Many Second Amendment proponents argue this list established a "weapons shopping list" for burglars and thieves all across the commonwealth as well.

I am writing you today because you advertise with the Roanoke Times, roanoke.com, or one of its subsidiaries. I feel it is only fair to inform you that I have begun a personal boycott of all Roanoke Times advertisers until a resolution to their grievous error has been reached. I have asked the Roanoke Times to do 3 things:

1. Issue a public apology to all Virginia CHP licensees both in print and broadcast media.
2. Publicly promise to never post the CHP database, again. To do so would only endanger the lives of many Virginians a second time.
3. Terminate the following three individuals from their positions on the editorial staff: Christian J. Trejbal, Debbie Meade, and Dan Radmacher. These individuals have squandered the public's trust and proved unworthy of their positions of great social responsibility.

Until the Roanoke Times responds accordingly, I will NOT do business with ANY of its advertisers. I hope to see this issue come to a swift and reasonable conclusion. Thank you!

Sincerely,


Here is RT Advertiser List One for your TO: box

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Here are the RT email addresses you may consider CCing:

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

If any of you want any or all of this info in a Word doc, just let me know.
Jeff
 
Last edited:
Well, I posted the list pretty late in the business day so I imagine most of the fussing will hit the RT tomorrow. Don't get discouraged yet. Thanks for sending an email. I was worried my long days work wasn't going to get much use.
 
I sent a copy of my posting to the head of VCDL, Philip Van Cleave. I'm hoping he distributes it among the membership. Three thousand or more emails going to these businesses would definitely cause the RT's switchboard and servers to light up.
 
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