General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Handgun-owners map draws outrage [View all]JohnnyRingo
(18,628 posts)It's nonsense that thieves would always get shot by the homeowner, no competent burglar would enter the house when someone is home. The burglars would find names near their own homes so they can spend some time casing the house of a confirmed owner to find out when they aren't home and to make sure the resident doesn't also have a Rotweiller.
A problem arises when the burglar is wrong and someone else, perhaps an adult child or unarmed spouse, is in the targeted home. In that case, the bungled robbery could go either way, with an advantage to the burglar by element of surprise. Unlike breaking & entering, those who commit burglary are often armed and more desperate. That's why there's a stiffer penalty for burglarizing a residence as opposed to an empty warehouse.
On the upside, such a list that identifies gun owners by address is... well nothing. It's not like they're pedophiles. News outlets tried to pass similar legislation in Ohio to release a list of names and addresses to the media years ago, but Democratic governor Ted Strickland vetoed it over privacy and safety issues.