IN RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS, The Tennessean has taken down its list of Tennessee concealed-weapon permit holders. I agree with Blake Wylie: “Bravo to the Tennessean. They should have done some research and put some thought into it *before* putting it online, but I’m glad they did the right thing in the end.”

UPDATE: A.C. Kleinheider observes:

Whether the Tennessean did this out of an editorial anti-gun fervor, a pitch at boosting their web hits, or a simple exercise in public records, the result will be the same. The legislature will be overloaded with demands from gun owners to close these records.

Because, in the end, the Tennessean didn’t do anything wrong here. Sure, it was in bad taste and ultimately destructive.

But these are, in fact, public records. The jokers over a 1100 Broadway simply made them easily accessible — as all public information will eventually be.

This little episode should be lesson to all of us. I am just afraid that we won’t learn it. When the Tennessean eventually shuts this database down and/or the legislature closes these records, screeds will be written on the power of the gun community and, indeed, kudos will be due. But the important lesson to learn is the one about privacy and open records.

And also: “Whether the Tennessean publishes the database or not is not the problem. The problem is that the database exists in the first place. Certainly, it was in bad taste for the Tennessean to publish this info. No gun owner wants the criminals to know who has firearms and the ability to carry them legally. . . . You see, whether the Tennessean publishes the names on the list is not the tragedy. The tragedy is that the list exists at all.” He thinks we should have Vermont style carry, with no permit required.

I’m also already hearing proposals that Tennessee’s law be amended to protect against this kind of disclosure. I believe Minnesota’s law provides such protections.