Opinion
Olympia, Washington –-(Ammoland.com)- Gun Owners of America, today in conjunction with a Pierce County resident, has sued the State of Washington to prevent the personal information of those gun owners that turn in their bump stocks from being released to the public.
When the ATF announced, it would be changing the interpretation of a machine to include bump stocks Washington State offered a buyback plan for its residents. Anyone who turned in a bump stock would receive a $150 check. Rather than lose all the money they invested in their devices some Washington citizens used the opportunity to recoup some cash.
The former owners had to fill out a surrender form for each bump stock to get the money from the state. They had to include personal information such as their name and their address. The checks were then mailed out to the owners.
As reported on AmmoLand News, someone under an apparent fake name of Yati Arguna filed a request to get all the information on the people that turned in their bump stocks to the Washington State Patrol. The requestor said their goal was to set up an online database that would show people where these gun owners live within the state.
Arguna stated that the public had the right to know where people that owned these devices live and the names of who previously owned bump stocks. This move seems to be an attempt to harass and intimidate gun owners. Police were going to release the information unless a citizen filed a court order to prevent the release by Thursday.
A gun owner that turned in their bump stock along with Gun Owners of America has filed a court injunction to stop the information from being released to Arguna. The gun owner who wishes to remain anonymous never imagined that his information would be released. He was only trying to comply with the law.
“Turning in my bump stock seemed like the right thing to do at the time, if they were going to be illegal, I had no desire to hold on to it,” the gun owner told AmmoLand News. “It never crossed my mind that my personal information including my home address may end up published so that criminals can come to rob me.”
This case is similar to a case in New York State where an FOIA request was filed to get the data of gun owners to share on the map. The courts blocked the release of the information. GOA and the John Doe gun owner hopes that the Washington court comes to a similar ruling.
The Washington State Patrol is sympathetic to the gun owners that compiled by turning in their bump stock, but the law ties their hands. Officers off the record told AmmoLand that they hoped a gun owner would step up and file an injunction.
Gun Owners of America is outraged that the WSP would release this information. GOA Executive Director Erich Pratt sees the affected gun owners as victims. Like many gun rights activist, he sees this as an attempt to harass law abiding citizens.
“Gun Owners of America is very close to launching a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order in Washington,” Pratt told AmmoLand ” Gun owners in the Evergreen State are being victimized twice. First, their property was taken from them in violation of the Second and Fifth Amendments. Now, these gun owners’ names will soon be made public — thus opening them up to theft and harassment from anti-gun activists.”
Attorney Richard Sanders is handling the case. Sanders plans to have the temporary restraining order filed as soon as possible.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.
There was also a law suit filed in Spokane Washington as well
Meanwhile, NRA asks for your donations to feed Wayne LaPierre’s retirement fund and his extremely rare collection of machine guns.
What you need to ask yourself is where you would be WITHOUT the NRA? Assuming you are not a troll. Do you remember the revolution inside the NRA at the 1977 convention? I do. Do you know WHY? I do. The NRA was told after the passage of the GCA of 68 that they had to get involved politically or lose everything, by a US Senator no less. AND at the time, from the late 60s at even before, the NRA had been backing some gun control measures. AND at the time of the revolution there were people high in… Read more »
Publish the personal information for every liberal, there are hundreds, in the state legislature, school districts etc for all to see who are the real AH’s.
I have always wondered about the intellectual capacities of someone who wants Dox gun owners at their homes.
“The Washington State Patrol is sympathetic to the gun owners that compiled by turning in their bump stock, but the law ties their hands.”
That excuse didn’t work at Nuremberg and I’m getting sick of hearing it.
Agreed!
When I was confronted with the form to fill out I asked why do you need this information. I was told this was not a cash transaction, that they needed the information to 1) identify to whom the check would be issued, 2) the address to where it was to be sent, and 3) to verify that you were not an Oregon residence. I said, was that it? And “yes” was the answer. I don’t think that the officer was trying to be, but in the subsequent aftermath, was this miss leading?
Never put yourself out there by turning YOUR personal belongings over and never give them YOUR personal information out. Even if they, commies,lefties,bloomers, sorosos, whatever you want to call them.
Truly,if my tax dollars are helping with abortions. I wish to know who is receiving the services. That way I can write them to ask ,if it all was resolved to satisfaction! We all want to know our dollars helped others!
Great article. In WA State, since 2016, when one purchase a hand gun as a CPL Holder, a Dept of Licensing form is filled out by the FFL Dealer. It is then sent to the Chief of Police/Sheriff of the municipality in which the purchaser resides. A copy remains with the WA State Department Of Licensing. This is the life body and early stages of Firearm Registration. These are facts. They have a list and keep adding to it. Do we see the problem here? The “State” has a list of whom the Holders are and What it is that… Read more »
That was the law long before 2016. The handgun record was handled just as you say for years. The local sheriff filed his copy under the name of the purchaser. The Washingotn based FFL filed his in some place. The Department of Licensing filled up drawers with them, in chronological order. There was NO WAY to search that, no database. When BloomingIdiotBurg bought the 594 law, “ending” private sales one of the illegal parts of the law was to begin codifying the information on those pages into a searchable database. Last I heard they were only a little way through… Read more »
Purchased a gun close to 40 years ago. In Maryland, this has been the status quo. The Maryland State Police have ALL of your PERSONAL information. They also share your information with other States if you have a Carry Permit.
It would be a boon to criminals if there was a list of citizens, like a phone book, who did not own or have firearms in their homes. Maybe it is time that such a list was created, published and sold. I can just see it sitting on the magazine rack.” Addresses of People who do not own guns”
No, it would read “Owners of rifles that don’t have bump stocks anymore”, feel free to burglarize this home to get your guns you can’t acquire legally.
Join GOA today!
Don’t forget the SAF. the more the better.
AMEN!!! They take cases to court and win.
Good Lord! People when will you start taking up arms against this tyranny? It is way past time!
In the late 1700s there was an organized steering committee for the upcoming revolution. They didn’t have to deal with the issues of electronic “supervision” of the non-existent message boards, or phone taps. They weren’t concerned by the cameras recording their movements or appearance. The situation is somewhat different now. How exactly do you suggest that those problems be dealt with other than face-to-face, which limits the coverage area and does not fix the camera issue.
The good old days, you know, when revolution was simple and easy. It’s a serious question.
Actually, from a tactical point of view, a revolution would look much different in order to be successful. It would involve hundreds of very small ambush teams (only 2 – 3 very trustworthy individuals to each other) or one wolfs, who would take out individuals one at a time. Those attacks would be very surgical in nature and be widespread across the country with very little large organizational assistance. These would strike against unconstitutional individuals who threaten the very bases of the Constitution. Quick hits and disappear into the masses. Not that I am suggesting this at all but that… Read more »
Chiefton, I gave that some thought, as well as the John Ross book scenario, but unless there is some widespread, all encompassing event that precipitates that sort of thing it is, IMHO, less than likely. Most people need leadership of some sort and that is the difficult part of the scenario. During and before the RW there were laws in some of the colonies making it illegal to be a lawyer as well as a requirement to have certain amounts of lead and powder on hand for the required firearm. People knew how and were inclined use firearms. Those things… Read more »
If anyone does “take up arms”, they would get zero support from you people. Just look at how quickly the right cucks to the left.
You people won’t even support your own, why the hell would anyone take up arms to be betrayed?
Wewlad, You’re new here, or I don’t recognize your handle, so I’ll cut you some air.
Merely “taking up arms” is a meaningless gesture without a plan. As for cucking to the left, nobody was going to the left, they were discussing tactics and strategy, something a fair number of the people here know something about. Rather than call names, why don’t you make some suggestions.
If the anti-gunners want to publish the personal information of those of us who own firearms, then it is time we return the favor. We need to DOX every liberal anti-gun unpatriotic politician in the US AND their goon security squads. Let them know how it feels to have your name, address, phone numbers and other personal information out there. TURN ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY!!!
@Dr Clary, Long time, no hear from. Good to hear from you. This DOXing thing could be the next craze to sweep the nation! Could be fun.
Hi Bill,
I was out of commission for awhile with a major heart attack… but the reports of my demise were premature and I am back. I figure that if a few thousand lawful gun owners decided to DOX the UnAmerican anti-gunners, it would get the attention of the lefties very fast and they would finally realize that we are not going to take their abuse any more. Next step would be to drive them out of office and replace them with patriotic Americans who support the 2nd Amendment as well as the rest of the Bill of Rights.
Glad you’re back. Remember, “Chicks dig scars.” That new zipper must impress your wife. %-)
Seriously, Glad things worked out well, MIs are no joke and the probable surgery isn’t either.
I say call in a ‘red flag order’ on all of them and see how they like dealing with a LEO on their doorstep at 5am. You could easily justify the ‘danger to themselves or others’ qualification as they have put themselves at risk.
Do you really believe any politician, lawyer, or billionaire will be subject to Red Flag orders? Those people are always exempt to these types of laws.
Register infanticide so those records can be released under FOIA if federal funds are used to support abortion.