Patch Blogs: Guns, Outrage, God

Senator Greg Ball (R-Westchester/Putnam) isn't thrilled.

When The Journal News published a map detailing pistol permit holders in the Lower Hudson Valley, Ball lashed out, railing against the cannon cartography.

"[They] place[d] a virtual scarlet letter on law abiding firearm owners throughout the region," Ball penned in his Patch blog. "This is clearly a violation of privacy, and needs to be corrected immediately."

In the comments, some readers lauded Ball's outrage -- while others defended the Journal News' map, and assailed Ball's retort.

On the same note, blogger Bruce Apar discusses the perception of bias in the media, and boils the gun map issue down to a more personal concept.

"It certainly is [biased]," Apar writes. "It's biased because every human being brings to the story his or her own set of biases."

In his religion-oriented blog, Rabbi Mark Sameth makes a bold statement: "There is no God."

But his assertion isn't atheistic -- instead, it leads into a meditation on gun violence. For further reading, click here.

The Journal News has fielded many calls, emails, questions and comments since the report's publication. Go here to read the FAQ it published in response.

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If you're interested in blogging for Patch and sharing your story, insights, opinions or photos, email kevin@patch.com.