White Plains CitizeNetReporter - County Exec to Paper: Take Down that Map! First Amendment is Not Absolute

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. January 15, 2013 UPDATED JANUARY 16, 2013: Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino called on the Journal News Publisher and Editor Janet Hasson today to remove the interactive map of permitted gunholders in Westchester County from the Journal News Lohud website. He also wrote the First Amendment is not absolute in calling for the take-down. As of 9:45 P.M. Wednesday, the lohud.com website still displayed the gun map of Westchester and Rockland County gunowners. The letter sent to presumably all media makes the statement: "Constitutional rights -- even those protected by the First Amendment--are not absolute." He writes "My request is based on public safety concerns and basic common sense." The County Executive writes "The issue is no longer protecting speech but rather protecting the public, including employees of the Journal News. The time has come to take the map down." The Executive also notes, "whether the County Clerk (Timothy Idoni) should have complied with the (Journal News) initial request is debatable." (A position in direct opposition to the New York State Committee on Open Government, and upheld by the New York State Court of Appeals). County Executive Mary Ellen Odell of Putnam County declined to release gun permit data for her county when requested by the Gannett newspaper.

Note: The Gannett Journal News website has not reported receipt of Mr. Astorino's letter or published a reaction to it. The original release from the County occurred at 1:45 P.M. Tuesday.


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