Media abuse of CCW License holders continues

By Tim Inwood

Just a little over a week after my article concerning anti-gun bias at Channel 5 in Cincinnati, another abuse of the First Amendment came to my attention. This time it was not in Ohio, but Oregon.

I had been watching the case of Shirley Katz from afar, ever since I first heard Neal Boortz talk about her on his radio show. This poor woman is a public school teacher who lives in Medford, Oregon and the tale told in the press does not quite fit the truth of what has actually happened. You see, Shirley Katz has been portrayed as a woman recently divorced who fears her ex-husband. That is the tip of the iceberg.

Shirley Katz in reality is a victim of harassment from the promoters of what I have dubbed the “Culture of Sheep”. Shirley got called into the Principal’s office one day. There waiting for her was a police officer and the principal of the school who, after lowering the blinds, proceeded to grill her about if she had a concealed carry permit, as someone had reported to the school that she had one. Since this was perfectly legal, she not concerned, and she replied “yes”. Then they demanded to know “Do you have a gun? Do you bring it to school?” She said “no”. They then threatened if she had a gun in her car they would arrest her and she would be fired.

This was insane. Under the law of Oregon she could carry to school if she wished to. Only the State legislature has the authority to make schools off limits for carrying and they had not done that. The police officer had no right to threaten her with arrest or search of her vehicle for something that was perfectly legal. Shirley turned to Gun Owners of America and they in turn had Shirley contact the Oregon Firearms Federation (OFF).

OFF kindly offered to help and to pay her legal bills should a lawsuit result. However they did try to reason with the principal prior to taking legal action. The two local legislators for the Medford area called the school to explain the law was on Shirley’s side if she wanted to carry at school. The head of the district Phil Long, would not listen to reason.

Angered by what happened to her, and deciding she did want to be protected if her ex-husband or any loon came to shoot up the school (not an unreasonable concern with all the stories about school and mall shootings), she decided to take legal action. This then moved to the courts. Sadly it wound up in the hands of an activist court that ignored the law. They ruled against her. This is truly political correctness, and judicial activism at its most insane.

To make things worse the local press got involved. In a bad move that reminds me of the folly of Matt Westerhold of the Sandusky Register, here in Ohio, the Tribune Mail of Medford has asked Jackson County to provide the names of all school teachers in Jackson County who have their concealed carry license. To his credit Sheriff Mike Winters has refused the request. Now Editor Bob Hunter is suing the sheriff to get those records. Mr. Hunter’s view is the CCW license is public record, so he should be allowed to publish the information. He thinks the public has the right to know whom the teachers are who have obtained a CHL.

Our friends at the Oregon Firearms Federation have done their best to reason with Mr. Hunter and others at the Mail Tribune. Kevin Starrett of the OFF has written, “Editor Bob Hunter believes that he has the right to those names for whatever purpose he chooses to use them. "This is information bought and paid for by the public, and the public has a right to it.” But of course, that's not true. The public did not buy and pay for this information. The information was paid for by the fees license holders are forced to pay to exercise a "right." But Bob goes on “It’s important for news media to take a stand on something like this because if public information is withheld in this way it will diminish the amount of public information the public is allowed to see…”

“The truth is, whether it is legal for the press to obtain these names or not, (and attorneys have recently informed us it may NOT be legal) the only purpose being served is to chill the rights of gun owners.”

We at BFA agree with this assessment by Mr. Starrett. We have seen directly the damage of having the names of CHL holders in Ohio made public. Bill Singleton was killed in an ambush-style robbery shortly after the Cleveland Plain Dealer disclosed that he was an Ohio CHL holder. As we would like to avoid seeing anyone being injured because of the callous actions by the press, we would like to remind Mr. Hunter that the issue of Public Records is a double edged sword. Anyone wishing to check out the Mail Tribune can do so here - http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage. Having found that, they can easily see whom the advertisers are with that paper and let them know what they think of what the editor is doing to the privacy of these citizens and the potential danger he is placing them in.

Prior to doing that though I hope you will drop a line to the Editor Bob Huntery by email at >[email protected]. Or by snail mail by dropping him a note or phone call here:

Mail Tribune
P.O. Box 1108
111 N. Fir St.
Medford, OR 97501
541-776-4411

Please write a polite letter expressing your views on this issue. Make it clear that it is disgusting to swing the First Amendment as a bludgeon to attack our Second Amendment rights. It is an appalling abuse that must stop. I remind you to please be polite, persuasive, and logical; do not be threatening or menacing in any way. Let’s not reinforce a stereotype that is not true of gun owners. I only say this because I know you are going to be irritated with this man, but let’s hope that by showing him we are reasonable people, who only wish to protect themselves from criminals, we will bring him around to understand that publishing the names of CHL holding school teachers is a bad idea. Hopefully Mr. Hunter will be persuaded and our friends at the Oregon Firearms Association will not need to give Mr. Hunter the “Westerhold Treatment”. BFA published public but personal information about Mr. Westerhold to help him understand what he had done to over 2000 citizens of northern Ohio. Needless to say he was somewhat nonplussed, but it appears he did learn his lesson. Mr. Hunter may wish to give Mr. Westerhold a call to better understand what a miserable experience his decision caused.

It is my understanding that Oregon Firearms Federation is prepared to release the home address and phone number of Mr Hunter as well as the following associates of the Mail Tribune: Mr. Troy Heie, Mr John Mihalyo and Mr. Richard Moeschl, if they continue with these plans to sue the Sheriff for these license holders private information. That may sound harsh, but it is no different than what they plan to do to the CHL-holding citizens of Jackson County.

It may sadly take that unwanted attention to make them realize the undesired persecution and torment that will likely befall these good citizens if the Mail Tribune breaks the public trust by publishing these names. Hopefully they will come to their senses and drop this foolish pursuit. They should help protect the privacy of their fellow citizens who only wish to be able to defend themselves. If the press continues to abuse the First Amendment in a pursuit of destroying the Second Amendment, then they should not be surprised if the First Amendment is used to expose them in the same fashion.

Tim Inwood is the current Legislative Liaison and Past President of the Clinton County Farmers and Sportsmen Association, an Endowment Member of the NRA, Life Member of OGCA, and a volunteer for Buckeye Firearms Association in Ohio.