“This year will go down in history. For the first time a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our police will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future.” – Adolf Hitler, who instituted the first German gun laws just before Kristallnacht.

I’m not the biggest fan of Michelle Malkin, but she has a column in the Washington Times about the prejudice against gun owners:

Two weeks ago, the Roanoke (Va.) Times published an online database of registered concealed handgun permit holders in the paper’s community under the sanctimonious guise of “Sunshine Week.” The database included both the names and street addresses of some 135,000 Virginians with permits to carry concealed weapons. Columnist Christian Trejbal patted himself on the back for making it easy to snoop on the neighbors: “I can hear the shocked indignation of gun-toters already: It’s nobody’s business but mine if I want to pack heat. Au contraire. Because the government handles the permitting, it is everyone’s business.” The Roanoke Times showed reckless disregard for the safety of the license holders and reckless disregard for accuracy. In his column, Mr. Trejbal admitted he knew some of the information he had obtained was inaccurate — but published it anyway: “As a Sunshine Week gift, The Roanoke Times has placed the entire database, mistakes and all [emphasis added], online at www.roanoke.com/gunpermits. You can search to find out if neighbors, carpool partners, elected officials or anyone else has permission to carry a gun.” After an uproar among gun-owners, including domestic violence victims licensed to carry, the Times finally decided to yank the database. Mr. Trejbal seems not to feel much remorse: “Did we make it easier [to obtain the information]? Yes. But it’s still a public record.” Let’s review: He published a list he knew contained inaccuracies. His paper admits the decision endangered gun owners. He compiled a convenient shopping list for criminals — and smacked law-abiding gun owners in the face with his comparison of their choice to exercise their rights with sex offenders.

Law abiding gun owners compared get compared to sexual predators. These are law abiding citizens exercising their right. I don’t understand how people can conveniently overlook or ignore the Second Amendment as an individual civil liberty protected by the Constitution.