As well they should be. Requiring the state to approve your internet usage is a blatant violation of the First Amendment.
A lot of people don't care or get involved until their "personal ox is being gored". Note how, in this case some of the groups objecting to the NY law are not objecting to the gun control part of it, but the requirement to provide internet/social media information. THAT, they care about....
and, a minor point, the state is not "approving internet usage", they are not attempting (at this point in time) to regulate usage or what you can say, they are demanding you provide them with what you have already done so they can "review" it and determine if you are someone they wish to allow issue of a pistol permit to.
As you pointed out, this is entirely arbitrary, entirely up to the state officials, what is, and isn't a disqualification for permit issuance.
Always remember that the authority of any government to say "you may not" is also the authority to say, "you must!"
If the law is allowed to stand, as is, its not outside the realm of possibility that, at some point in the future NOT having a social media presence might be grounds for disqualification!! IT is entirely up to them, not us, if the law stands as is....
Also, aside from the base violation of privacy rights, consider the necessary practical steps that would have to be taken to actually enforce such a policy.
Someone would have to take the time to read literally every single thing you ever posted, and THEN make a judgement on your suitablility. The sheer volume of work, the people needed to review it all, and the cost to do so would be staggering.
And, none of it would have any impact on crime, other than to put vulnerable citizens at risk by denying them a means of self defense, until they state finally gets around to approving their permit application, IF, they ever do....
I read recently that there was a shooting (murder?) in Times Square, despite all the "GUN FREE Zone" signs.
That's working well...now isn't it??
