GOP Mines Tennessee Handgun Permit Data
You thought it was just anti-gun newspapers combing the lists of permit holders? From iStockAnalyst:
Records obtained and reviewed by The Associated Press show that copies of the state’s database of more than 257,000 handgun permit holders were recently requested by the state Republican Party and a direct mail contractor that has done extensive work for the GOP’s legislative caucus.
[…]
State Republican Party chairman Chris Devaney said the party doesn’t take a position on whether the records should be open.
“We are operating under the laws as they are right now, and if they change we’ll operate under those standards,” he said. “We were seeking that information, it’s public information, and we wanted to have it.”
This, despite the fact that all the state Republicans voted to close those records to the public last year. That measure failed by one vote.
Then there’s this:
A June 2 request for the permit records came from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.-based Next Wave Communications Inc., the corporate parent of GOP vendor Majority Strategies.
Majority Strategies has done about $370,000 worth of work for the state GOP’s Tennessee Legislative Campaign Committee since July 2008 and another $245,000 for Republican legislative candidates individually, according to campaign finance records. Company officials did not return a phone call seeking comment.
There have also been other requests including one by a woman claiming to work for the NRA — the NRA denies that she does. Maybe she provides shopping lists for home burglars.
I will grant you that the GOP and it’s operatives are (supposedly) simply trying to find like-minded voters to send fund-raising letters to. Still, it is an invasion of privacy and the lists could fall into the wrong hands. And, it’s hypocritical given their support for making those lists private.
Closing these lists (in all states) should become a priority for all legislators who support the right to keep and bear arms. In fact, it should be a priority for all who simply support the right to privacy.
7 Responses to “GOP Mines Tennessee Handgun Permit Data”
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on 04 Nov 2009 at 9:37 am # Dogboy49
And, Tennessee Republican gun owners should tell their party that even though the practice is legal, that they should have refrained in any case. Any state Republican rep who thinks this practice is OK should be made aware of what his constituents think in this matter.
on 04 Nov 2009 at 10:56 am # mike
If all the republicans voted for the measure and it still failed by one vote, maybe this is a way to get it passed. Either more republicans get elected and pass the measure, or the democrats see that leaving the mailing list open to the republicans is a mistake and vote to keep the list closed out of self preservation.
on 04 Nov 2009 at 12:09 pm # Calopodius
In a ‘may issue’ state, the carry permit database shows who are the wealthy and/or politically connected people who have a privilege denied to ordinary citizens.
Until we can abolish these databases by permitting open and concealed carry without licensing, I am willing to let them be public records.
on 04 Nov 2009 at 2:22 pm # Ken
If the republicans are clever they will send the following to everyone on the list:
“You are receiving this letter because your government is watching you. The Tennessee government made public the fact that you have a handgun permit, as well as making public private information about all handgun permit. We think this is wrong (see US Constitution, Tennesse Constitution). This year we tried to close those files, but your government doesn’t like you possessing guns, so invaded your privacy.
Please contact your representative to tell them to seal these records and eliminate this database.”
on 04 Nov 2009 at 2:30 pm # JB
Of course, the downside is that if you get my name from a list I don’t consider should be available, that is an automatic vote against you.
Could be worse, the Dems could be giving this list to gangbangers to use while out campaigning for democrat candidates.
on 04 Nov 2009 at 7:21 pm # Daniel
I definitely agree with Ken.
Very good approach.
Mind if I steal that??
on 04 Nov 2009 at 7:58 pm # Dr. T
Tennessee has a wide streak of pseudo-populism. The people here decided that some Tennesseans do not deserve privacy. Those who don’t deserve privacy are licensed professionals: physicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical technologists, radiology technologists, lawyers, architects, landscape engineers, and other professions. Information on all of us (full names, addresses, phone numbers, workplaces, schooling, etc.) is posted on state-hosted web sites. The justification is that anyone should be able to check on the qualifications of any professional. OK, but why do they need to provide home addresses and phone numbers? Answer: They are too lazy to apply different security on different database fields.
Another demonized group are those who get concealed carry permits (that cost a ridiculous $350 plus mandatory attendance at a safety course that costs $80-150). If you’re packing, everyone deserves to know about you. I’m not sure that this will be changed in the next session, since the current policy is popular with many voters.