NRA -- Could it become victim of a backdoor registration scheme?

[SwearNoAllegiance]

I see the NRA is offering free membership with all the benefits. But I'm very skeptical of providing them (or anyone else, for that matter) with any info about my guns, even if it be for insurance purposes. If the government wanted a backdoor registration scheme, insurance from a nationally recognized organization would be a good place to start.

I might be paranoid, but my take is that the government cannot be trusted at all. So tell me friends, what information do I have to give the NRA about my weaponry? Do you share similar concerns?

 

[leadcounsel]

Make and model and value I think. They don't ask for serial numbers.

 

[cbrgator]

So tell me friends, what information do I have to give the NRA about my weaponry?

Do you HAVE TO give them any information at all?

 

[CoRoMo]

What makes you think the NRA would hand over that info to the feds?

 

[SwearNoAllegiance]

What makes you think the NRA would hand over that info to the feds?

lol.... That a serious question? The NRA has harmed gun owners before.

 

[CoRoMo]

Your TFH is a little tight, ain't it?

 

[SwearNoAllegiance]

I dunno what that is.

 

[Pizzagunner]

Tin Foil Hat=TFH

In NAACP v. Alabama, the Court affirmed that the constitutional rights of speech and assembly include a right of private group association. The idea that Americans are free to join private groups was not new in 1958. However, the Court’s decision to allow private groups to keep membership information confidential was an important constitutional milestone.

In 1956, the state of Alabama demanded a copy of the NAACP’s membership list, as part of its effort to expel the group from the state for allegedly violating a state business law. But the Supreme Court held that the civil rights group had a right to keep its members’ identities secret, whether or not a technical business law had been broken. Revealing the group’s membership, argued the Court, “is likely to affect adversely the ability of [the NAACP] and its members to pursue their collective effort to foster beliefs which they admittedly have the right to advocate, in that it may induce members to withdraw from the Association and dissuade others from joining it because of fear of exposure of their beliefs shown through their associations and of the consequences of this exposure.” NAACP at 462-63.

Whether handwritten on lined paper or stored electronically in a computer system, membership data is constitutionally protected from mandatory disclosure.

Individuals who join forces with others can sleep comfortably knowing they have a constitutional right to privacy that minimizes the risk of reprisal flowing from group membership. Any peaceful religious, social or political organization with a sensitive or unpopular mission can promise meaningful confidentiality and anonymity to members.

http://naacpvalabamaat50.org/

 

[SwearNoAllegiance]

The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. I think it is a perfectly valid concern.

 

[Pizzagunner]

So, please detail exactly when and under what circumstances the NRA has turned over its membership information to any governmental body so that we may take your concerns seriously.

 

[SwearNoAllegiance]

So, please detail exactly when and under what circumstances the NRA has turned over its membership information to any governmental body so that we may take your concerns seriously.

Never said that at all. I just said they've hurt gun owners in the past. Please focus.

 

[CoRoMo]

• You said past behavior is an indicator of future behavior.
  
• The future behavior on topic here, that worries you, is providing the feds with private membership information.

What past behavior indicates that the NRA would do this in the future?

I might be paranoid...

I agree.

 

[Pizzagunner]

You're asking me to focus?

You have asserted an unfounded fear that what you might tell the NRA will fall into the hands of the government. The NRA cannot be compelled to surrender that information under NAACP v. Alabama. Therefore, you focus and tell everyone how you see such a scenario going down.

Are you saying the NRA would voluntarily give the "government" a copy of all your vital information in order to screw people over?

 

[SwearNoAllegiance]

Yea in the context of harming gun owners in general. Good grief man, are we going to get bogged down here, really?

Does anyone share a concern that giving information away to groups, concerning ownership of firearms, could result in having their privacy compromised by the .gov?

 

[CoRoMo]

Then don't enroll in the friggin NRA!!

 

[SwearNoAllegiance]

Are you saying the NRA would voluntarily give the "government" a copy of all your vital information in order to screw people over?

No.

You added the NAACP stuff after an edit so I missed it. Forgive me.

 

[SwearNoAllegiance]

Then don't enroll in the friggin NRA!!

Good idea. After thinking about it, they've compromised way too much and cannot be trusted.

 

[CoRoMo]

 

[dave from mesa]

The NRA has harmed gun owners before.

Guess I have missed something here. When has the NRA harmed gun owners.
Not an argument just don't know.

 

[Zundfolge]

Do you HAVE TO give them any information at all?

No, you don't.

You don't have to give the NRA any information about your guns until you file a claim.

I had a handgun stolen a couple years ago, prior to me calling the NRA insurance folk, nobody at the NRA could tell you what (if any) guns I owned.

 

[SwearNoAllegiance]

lol. I never said that at all Coromo. If you want to join, go ahead. A conspiracy involves intent to harm, I don't think the NRA intends harm at all, I just think that they compromise, have harmed gun owners before, and am not willing to put my information out there if i don't have to.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I inherently am skeptical of the NRA at best. I feel in a lot of ways, that they have`sold us out to politics as usual.... I am a member, because of the whole strength in numbers thing, but only because of the free bonus thing. They need to do a little more to earn my trust again before I ever give them any more of my money. As for the registration thing, you don't have to give them ANY info at all about your guns. And I recommend not, as even if they don't willingly give up any info, the Gov. has been known to forcibly seize records in the past, look at Swift. The gov also has "legal" means of forcing compliance, do you think Wayne Lapierre is gonna give up his comfortable life and do time for you or me? Or do you think he would fold quickly to save his own azz?

 

[Fleetwood_Captain]

I'm assuming that you’re talking about their free ArmsCare insurance coverage.

After you sign up/extend membership with the NRA, they send you a membership packet. It contains your membership card, confidential member survey, and other goodies like coupons and bumper stickers. One of the forms is an application for complimentary firearm and accident insurance.

All of the forms in the packet are optional and none of them ask any information about what kind of guns you own. The member survey does ask demographic questions like "what is your primary reason for owning a firearm?", "if your a hunter, what game do you hunt?", "have you ever used a firearm in self defense?", etc., etc., etc.

If you’re not comfortable with the form, then just throw it out. There's no need to send anything in.

 

[SquirrelNuts]

CoRoMo,

CQ DX CQ DX DE PAR4NOID

 

[hso]

The NRA doesn't ask you for any information about whether you own firearms or not, much less what you own, so how could they provide the information to anyone?

If you're concerned that the government might collect information about firearms ownership using insurance records (and it does sound unreasonably paranoid to think that might occur), there's a very simple way to avoid that. Don't sign up for insurance that requires you to provide that information. That's pretty simple.