NRA Built Massive Gun Owner Database

[dc dalton]

If true it's a tad unnerving

How The NRA Built A Massive Secret Database Of Gun Owners

Read the story, this isn't just their members, they are getting data from wherever they can.

And of course now the liberal media is jumping all over it:

Link Removed

 

[farsidefan1]

This seems like pretty easy stuff to compile. It is also logical for them to be gathering such information so I'm certainly not shocked. I am a bit disturbed by the potential for hacking but I assume Obama's crew has much better and more extensive information than the NRA could ever hope to compile. I mean seriously, the gov has a million times the intelligence gathering capabilities than the NRA or ANYONE else and we would have to be nuts to think they are waiting for some national registry to be law before they start gathering the information. As much as I hate my name on any list, well, I'm not going to kid myself. I'm on all of them. The NRA is probably the one I'm least worried about.

 

[Nightmare45]

Again I don't care if people know I have guns, you can also know I know how to use them and will. 2nd Amendment allows me this right along with the rest of the constitution.

 

[JJFlash]

Again I don't care if people know I have guns, you can also know I know how to use them and will. 2nd Amendment allows me this right along with the rest of the constitution.

Same here. Time to stand up and be counted. Keep training. May be a time in the not-so-distant future that all that training might be put to good use.

 

[jameshd]

Same here. Time to stand up and be counted. Keep training. May be a time in the not-so-distant future that all that training might be put to good use.

We pray that we will never need to use that training, but it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

 

[BluesStringer]

It doesn't surprise me at all that the biggest, most well-organized and longest-standing gun control organization in the world would compile such a list. Glad I'm not a member anymore, because I hate betrayal and lies worse than anything, which is precisely why I'm not a member anymore.

No need for anyone to get mad at me for saying it. I can (and have many times on this forum) document why I say what I say, and every time I do, angry N R A members deflect from every piece of documentation I offer by saying that was in the past, or the new leadership is comprised of gun-rights saints, yada yada. Save it. I've made up my mind, and believe as strongly as I can that putting all your eggs in the N R A basket is counter-productive at best.

If you must tell me what a jack-wagon I am for saying such things out loud, at least take a gander at a little bit of the documentation I've offered in the past first. That's hardly the extent of it either.

The N R A is not so much "big gun" as it is "big corporatism," which wouldn't be bad at all except for one thing: What they sell is trust, altruism, and constitutional advocacy. But what they deliver is betrayal, false promises, and support for constitutional usurpations. The proof is fairly easy to find. I suggest y'all try.

Blues

 

[SmokinWill]

Did any of you bother to fully read the article? SOurces include the following:

“There are certainly some parallels,” said Laura Quinn, CEO of Catalist, a data analysis firm used by Obama for America. “The NRA is not only able to understand people who their members are but also people who are not their members. The more data they have, the more it allows them to test different strategies and different messages on different people.”

So, you're going to believe anything that Obama for America says about the NRA? Really? REALLY?????

 

[dgifted]

Again I don't care if people know I have guns, you can also know I know how to use them and will. 2nd Amendment allows me this right along with the rest of the constitution.

I don't care as much that I am on a list for the NRA since I have been a member for a while. What I do care about is if the Chief Rights Abuser obummer puts me on a target list that he or any of his cronies put together. He has the NSA to track my every movement by cell phone and other data mining techniques. That I object to. Those goons have already stated and shown the Second Amendment doesn't apply if they say it doesn't apply. They have the power to put a lot of us 6 feet under before anyone can get around to declaring what they are doing is illegal. We have 5 years of proof that a law means nothing to this crowd if they don't want to obey it. I don't think the NRA has anything beyond the fact that I am a gun rights supporter and certainly is not out to take rights or more away from me.

 

[buckey01]

I don't particularly like my name in any computer data base; but I'm afraid it's too late. I'm pretty sure that I'm in many. The NRA data base, other than their annoying mailings, doesn't particularly bother me. It is the government lists and information stores the creates some level of fear. Government by nature is force. It uses information to intimidate and create fear in the population. A government that engenders fear in the population is tyranny; and fear and control are the the main instruments of progressive tyranny.

 

[BluesStringer]

Did any of you bother to fully read the article? SOurces include the following:

“There are certainly some parallels,” said Laura Quinn, CEO of Catalist, a data analysis firm used by Obama for America. “The NRA is not only able to understand people who their members are but also people who are not their members. The more data they have, the more it allows them to test different strategies and different messages on different people.”

So, you're going to believe anything that Obama for America says about the NRA? Really? REALLY?????

Did you even read what you just quoted? Catalist is a data analysis firm used by OFA, it isn't OFA. There's no bias implicit in a contractor performing the analysis it was contracted to perform.

What do you find incredible about what's said just a couple of paragraphs before what you quoted above?

That database has been built through years of acquiring gun permit registration lists from state and county offices, gathering names of new owners from the thousands of gun safety classes taught by NRA-certified instructors and by buying lists of attendees of gun shows, subscribers to gun magazines, and more, BuzzFeed has learned.

If my state is releasing permit holder information to any private organization, I want to know about it. I don't think my state is because there's a law preventing it, but it sure as heck wouldn't surprise me to find out that many .orgs would seek to gather that info, whether for marketing purposes, polling lists or newsletter alerts seeking political actions.

It's indisputable that the vast majority of CCW instructors are all N R A-certified, and could forward new permission slip applicant's names to headquarters as a matter of course. I don't doubt they do that for a second.

Every gun show I go to requires attendees to run a gauntlet of N R A membership pitches before you can get into the floor area. But first, you have the chance to fill out an email address card so the show promoters can let you know when the next show is. I always fill it out because that's the easiest way to know about upcoming shows, but I'll guarantee that the email addy's are given to the N R A reps because after each show, I have to unsubscribe from another N R A-ILA newsletter that I never signed up for willingly.

I really think you misunderstood the quote that you posted, and you obviously misunderstand how the N R A works. It's a massive money-tree that sells trust but delivers betrayal. Turn a blind eye to it if you want, but for the life of me, I will never understand why so many well-intentioned gun owners do.

Blues

 

[whodat2710]

I think the NRA, just like ANY national organization, is about money. I don't care if it is Goodwill, March of Dimes or whatever, your donations pay their leadership first, their administrators second, and a small goes to what ever cause you think you are supporting. In the instance of the NRA, you are paying for lobbyists. These guys grease the politicians with campaign contributions, dinners, whatever in hopes of swaying their vote. This vote should be based on what the constituents want, so be your own lobbyist and talk to your representatives office.
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I am a conservative (tea party/libertarian leaning), heterosexual, caucasian, anti baby-murder (pro-life), military, gun-toting, weapons permission slip having, NICS check frequenter. Oh, and I post stuff on a gun forum. Can you tell me a list a might NOT be on?

 

[Bob in Bristol]

I would rather be on the NRA list, than the NSA`s. I have been an NRA member for some time now, and they have done more for gun owners rights and freedoms than anyone else I know of. I have been put on lists since July 1972 when I bought a new Chevy pick up.

 

[Rhino]

Sometimes I think the world is going to run out of tinfoil. Please name an organization that teaches classes that doesn't keep class rosters. And getting lists of attendees of gun shows and subscribers to gun magazines isn't building a gun owner database. It's called advertising, and endless companies and other organizations have been doing that very same thing in the very same way for decades. And besides, being on one of those lists doesn't make you a gun owner anyway. And I'm glad the NRA isn't talking about it. It's called respecting our privacy. Does it surprise you that the guy they quote trying to turn NRA privacy into something sinister is an Obama crony? He probably helps Obama defend the NSA too. I'm surprised so many of these conspiracy nuts have enough brains to operate a web site.

 

[N R A]

I am not afraid of the NRA. I am afraid, of the people that are afraid of the NRA.

 

[Tbear30]

I have several long guns. Long guns in my state dont have to be registered. I have never gotten a NRA letter or phone call. As for gun rights advocacy, I like Second Amendment Foundation more than the NRA, since SAF seems to do more of the heavy lifting, NRA just gets the credit.

 

[SmokinWill]

Did you bother to find out anything about Catalist? They were formed by former Deputy Chief of Staff Harold Ickes. Who was on Clinton's payroll. Their entire purpose is to:

"To provide progressive organizations with the data and services needed to better identify, understand, and communicate with the people they need to persuade and mobilize" and

"Catalist is committed to using our talents and technology to nurture a vibrant, growing, progressive community, and to working with that community towards a more just, equitable and tolerant America."

That's from their own website: Link Removed

So, I guess you swallow whatever you're being fed that is anti-NRA. I think you have little to no understanding of the real topic.

 

[Pir8fan]

So the NRA has a "massive" database. Big deal. It's just one more list that I'm on. Quite frankly, I would rather be on the NRA list than anything the government has going.

 

[Pir8fan]

I have several long guns. Long guns in my state dont have to be registered. I have never gotten a NRA letter or phone call. As for gun rights advocacy, I like Second Amendment Foundation more than the NRA, since SAF seems to do more of the heavy lifting, NRA just gets the credit.

I don't mind at all if the NRA gets the credit. It lets the SAF operate out of the media's spotlight.

 

[BluesStringer]

Did you bother to find out anything about Catalist?

Pay careful attention here. I'm going to do something that represents the essence of discussion. I'm going to answer your question. Ready?

No, I didn't investigate Catalist. I simply responded to what you posted previously, where you said outright that Catalist was OFA, which was completely counter to the quote from the article that you were responding to.

See that? I answered your question, right? Now answer mine:

What do you find incredible about what's said just a couple of paragraphs before what you quoted above?

That database has been built through years of acquiring gun permit registration lists from state and county offices, gathering names of new owners from the thousands of gun safety classes taught by NRA-certified instructors and by buying lists of attendees of gun shows, subscribers to gun magazines, and more, BuzzFeed has learned.

I believe they (the N R A) are compiling such lists. I have had to unsubscribe from email blasts after every gun show I've attended (which when I say "every," it has been the same promoter and the shows have been held at the same place for about 12 years). I don't accuse them of using that list in a nefarious or illegal way, it's mostly marketing stuff I get and a few ILA alerts here and there, but I know they are compiling it, and have been for many years.

Now I ask you, if I have determined that a given organization doesn't serve my own best interests, should I be "allowed" to cut all ties with them? Should I be forced to have to constantly be on the lookout for their invasion of my privacy from them specifically? Why should they have my email address if I've asked them over and over again to remove it from their lists?

Do you think that CCW applicants and students at state-mandated training should at least be informed that taking a class will result in their names and (at least some) contact info being sent to a giant corporation that will be flooding them with marketing materials until they navigate the privacy laws to make them stop?

And what possible rationale would accept that your state government might be releasing CCW lists to a private organization? Now, on that score, I have no suspicion that my state is doing such a thing, but I don't doubt for a second that many organizations would attempt to gain access to those rolls, whether on the "pro" side of the 2nd Amendment, or not. Do you really doubt that the N R A would accept access to those lists if it was offered to them? And if you don't doubt that, do you doubt that some states have released CCW permission slip rolls? The answer to that should be beyond obvious if you've been paying attention over the last year or so.

They were formed by former Deputy Chief of Staff Harold Ickes. Who was on Clinton's payroll. Their entire purpose is to:

"To provide progressive organizations with the data and services needed to better identify, understand, and communicate with the people they need to persuade and mobilize" and

"Catalist is committed to using our talents and technology to nurture a vibrant, growing, progressive community, and to working with that community towards a more just, equitable and tolerant America."

That's from their own website: Link Removed

So, I guess you swallow whatever you're being fed that is anti-NRA. I think you have little to no understanding of the real topic.

Really, I appreciate the added information, but it doesn't change my own years-long personal experience with having my email address added to their lists without my permission. And unsubscribing from the blasts is not necessarily the same as purging my email addresses from their lists.

So no, you "guess" wrong. I don't just swallow anything, whether anti-N R A, pro-N R A, anti or pro-government, or anti or pro-me, such as your post is. Plus, I provided you with a link that would help you understand why I've come to the conclusions I have. Maybe it's you who is swallowing a load of BS without consulting any information that would serve to refute it. Ever think of that? Didn't think so.

Blues

 

[JJFlash]

While an NRA member for many years, I don't necessarily buy everything they're selling. We can all be "purists" if we want but the reality is we NEED someone greasing palms, lobbying, or whatever the hell it takes to keep the antis at bay. It's messy but that's life in the big city. There is power in numbers and the NRA, like it or not, has numbers. And that's what's needed to move Congress-scum in the right direction.

It also seems to me that, unlike at other times in the past, the NRA held firm and didn't budge a freakin' inch after Sandy Hook and the resultant scream for more gun control. And I was sure they were gonna cave somehow, so that's something.

At worst: the enemy of my enemy is my ally.