Tennessee Criminal Lawyers

If a newspaper posts a database of public information, are they wrong? Second Amendment advocates think that the Memphis newspaper that posted a database of gun owners has stepped over a line and they are not happy. They believe it is no one’s business if they own a gun.

Tennessee is one of several states whose gun permits are considered public access. This means that anyone can find out if you own a weapon, it is their right as a member of the public. By making this information widely available through an online database, the Commercial Appeal has just made it much easier to get to the information.

This heavily traveled website, according to this article from The Tennessean, has seriously ruffled some feathers. Gun owners feel this increases their risk of burglary and does not make them feel safe. Others claim that knowing who owns a gun does the opposite, making them more comfortable. [read more]

According to this piece in the Memphis Commercial Appeal, burglaries were up 12.2% in 2008 when compared with 2007. This is quite a hefty jump and does not include break-ins related to domestic situations. This means that the majority of these offenses are being committed on strangers.

So, why the increase? Well, if you ask the Shelby County District Attorney General, you won’t hear them attributed to the disastrous economy. Unemployment is at record highs and people are struggling to make ends meet, but Mr. Gibbons thinks this is totally unrelated.

I understand a good many break-ins are related to drug use, people looking for easy money to support their habit. But, isn’t it irresponsible to think that none of the increase can be due to poverty taking a hold of the people of Memphis? [read more]