EVEN HARRIET CORNELL IS MAD AT THE JOURNAL NEWS

PRESS RELEASE AND LETTERย FROM HARRIET CORNELL,

CHAIR OF ROCKLAND COUNTY LEGISLATURE

 

In a letter to the publisher and the editor of the Journal News, Chairwoman of the Rockland Countyย Legislature Harriet Cornell has recommended the corporate office take positive action to regain the confidence lost by scores of Rockland andย Westchester residents as a result of the December 23, 2012 articleย โ€˜The Gun Owner Next Doorโ€™ ย which included an interactive map thatย revealed the names and addresses of 20,000 ย pistol permit holders withinย the two counties.

Cornell has called upon Janet Hasson, president and publisher andย CynDee Royle, editor and vice-president of News to initiate a capitalย campaign, sponsored by the paper, that would help to fund some of theย proposals put forward by the Lower Hudson Council of Schoolย Superintendents to address gun violence and school safety, includingย needed mental health and social services and school resource officers.

Cornell said the publication of the interactive map was legal butย โ€œrecklessโ€ and may have inadvertently endangered thousands ofย law-abiding permit holders, including current and former policeย officers, and encourages the sense that those who have gun licensesย somehow pose a threat to their neighbors and their communities.

โ€œThe Journal News cannot undo what has been done,โ€ said Cornell,ย โ€œBut you can accomplish something very powerful and positive byย creating a capital campaign. ย This is an opportunity for the Journalย News to regain public confidence and to make a real contribution toย school and community safety.โ€

 

Complete Text of Chairwoman Cornellโ€™s Letter:

Janet Hasson, President/Publisher

CynDee Royle, Editor and Vice-President/News. Westchester Rockland

Journal News
1133 Westchester Avenue
White Plains, New York 10604

Dear Ms. Hasson and Ms Royle,

As the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut unfolded before our eyes, I knowย all of Rockland and indeed the entire nation struggled with a meaningfulย way to address the intense horror and grief that we felt.

The image of young children dying at the hands of a deranged gunman, ofย educators who gave their lives trying to save them, and of the othersย who will forever live with the trauma has compelled many of us toย consider immediate and bold action to prevent this nightmare fromย occurring again.

I suspect that all at the Journal News shared this sense of mission andย felt an obligation to take action that would help to further theย national dialogue about gun violence. ย However lawful, the result ofย publication of an interactive map with detailed information about theย thousands of Rockland and Westchester residents who legally ย obtainedย licenses to own guns was reckless. While it may not have been yourย intent, the result was a sense that those who have gun licenses somehowย pose a threat to their neighbors and their communities.

In addition, this may well have put many individuals and families atย risk. Rockland County, in particular, is home to a number of currentย and former police officers who have worked here, in New York City, andย in other neighboring communities. Many of these men and women have gunย permits and were included in your published list.

In addition,residents who obtained gun permits as a way to protect themselves fromย harm, possibly from intimate partner abuse, have also been included inย your list. ย By publishing a map that pinpoints the exact name andย location of all who have legally obtained gun permits, you may haveย inadvertently endangered thousands of our residents.

You cannot undo what has been done, but you can accomplish somethingย very powerful and positive ย by creating a capital campaign that wouldย help to fund some of the proposals put forward by the Lower Hudsonย Council of School Superintendents to address gun violence and schoolย safety, as reported in your 12/31/12 edition. This could include fundingย for needed mental health and social services and for School Resourceย Officers.

This is an opportunity for the Journal News to regain publicย confidence and to make a real contribution to school and communityย safety. I sincerely hope you will choose to do so.

Very truly yours,
Harriet D. Cornell
Chairwoman of the Legislature

 

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