I agree with your concerns. That is why the Records Managers must simply
follow the laws to the best of their abilities, without letting their
political sentiments get in the way. Sometimes practicing civil disobedience
has its place, but you can still be held accountable for the actions taken.
That is why in this case, it is interesting to see that the records were
generally released, then the motivations and political perspectives of the
user of the information came to light. And to some extent, due to public
outrage (by some of the public) the newspaper was held responsible for its
actions anyway as people canceled subscriptions, publicly criticized them,
etc.
Records Managers just need to be ready to explain they are a conduit for
delivery, not a decision tree about release. And be ready to illuminate the
populace about the dilemmas.
***************************
John Phillips
Information Technology Decisions
www.infotechdecisions.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Dwight WALLIS
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 8:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Newtown shootings: Debate Begins Early Over Bill To Disclose
Handgun Owners' Names, Addresses - Courant.com - THE BIGGER ISSUE
Peter, there are many public records requirements that I object to.
However, we do live in a democracy, and - in spite of all of its
frustrations and flaws - I have a duty as a public servant to carry out the
laws as they are written. Nor am I personally comfortable advocating on a
particular side of issues like this (although I realize that there are
collegues that intelligently disagree with me on this). Perhaps when I
retire ;>)
John, as I am sure you are aware, there tends to be a considerable lag
between the speed of technological development and our ability to
effectively respond to the challenges of that development in a manner that
is legal, fair, efficient, or even moral. Privacy is most definitely one of
these concerns, and the reason this is in particular a difficult issue is
because of the politically charged nature of the issues behind it: gun
control, national security, anti-terrorism, even the privacy of everything
from our after work habits to what we read in the library. There are
generational differences in attitudes to this as well. The list goes on and
on, and the chance for mis-steps and mistakes along the way are many and
varied.
And while I would tend to broadly advocate for maximum personal privacy and
maximum governmental accountability, the dividing line between these two is
not as clear as that statement implies. Lets say one person considers
concealed weapons carriers to be a threat; another someone who is borrowing
works by Karl Marx from the library. In the eye of the beholder, the fact
that the government creates records around both these actions then becomes
less of a matter of privacy, and more one of government's obligation to
release this information as a form of protection from the perceived threat.
This is why these issues are best resolved in a democratic arena. I'm sure I
speak for many of us in acknowledging that I could do more in meeting such
important civic obligations. They're not easy, but they are important, and
in observing at least the local scene for 35 years as a public servant, you
would be surprised how effective getting involved can be.
--
Dwight Wallis, CRM
Multnomah County Records Management & Distribution Services Manager
1620 SE 190th Avenue
Portland, OR 97233
ph: Records- (503)988-3741
ph: Distribution - (503)988-3533, x29131
cell: (503)260-2263
fax: (503)988-3754
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