DoJ’s mental defective gun ban list is mostly veterans
Bobo sends us a link from the Washington Times which reports that Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is pretty upset that the list of “mental defectives” on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System who are forbidden to possess firearms is 99.3% veterans, mostly because the only agency that is doing what the law requires all government agencies to do;
All federal agencies are required to report names of individuals who are dangers to themselves or others to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System’s “mental defective” category — a status that prevents them from owning or possessing guns.
That means that veterans “are particularly singled out,” Mr. Grassley said. Those veterans should not be required by the Department of Veterans Affairs “to prove that they have the ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” he said.
“According to the Congressional Research Service, as of June 1, 2012, 99.3% of all names reported to the NICS list’s ‘mental defective’ category were provided by the Veterans Administration (VA) even though reporting requirements apply to all federal agencies,” Mr. Grassley’s letter said.
But, you know this is just part of the White House’s anti-military, anti-veteran series of programs. the Department of Defense is burdened with the entirety of federal budget cuts, and now the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is providing the sole list to forbid the ownership of guns among the people who shouldn’t own guns, you know, with little legal remedy.
Grassely contends that the list is largely made up of veterans who require a financial advisor to help them balance their budgetary affairs. So that makes perfect sense.
Category: Politics
It’s called the Brady Bill.
Wait – what? If I put my ginormous income into a trust to protect it from greedy relatives, with me as the owner and sole trustee, that makes me a mental defective, if I read that right.
Remind me to only go to the VA for flu shots, and do they provide glaucome tests? I should get one of those if they do.
Okay, if you actually do need help with managing your finances, and ask someone to help you out because you simply can’t do it yourself any more, that does not mean you are a mental defective. It means you have some common sense. And frankly, putting your income and funds into a trust is also some common sense, especially if you want to take trips and not have to worry about taxes being paid on time.
Getting a financial advisor for that kind of thing does not mean you are either incompetent or a danger to anyone, including yourself. It means you’re smarter than the people who just piss away what they have.
If that isn’t the most prejudiced thing I’ve ever seen, I don’t know what it is.
This is not a new issue. All those diagnoses of PTS remain on file somewhere. Lots of vets are not even aware that they have been so diagnosed.
Veterans are the enemy of tyranny. Veterans know weapons, are trained in their use, and are not afraid to use them in–what shall I call it?–a national emergency. If you think the gov’t is fearful of college professors, NYC Democrats, and Code Pink members having firearms, think again.
▲▲▲▲▲ Like ▲▲▲▲▲
Bingo.
Odd the VA is managing to report this info, but not, you know, managing to do their full time job of caring for sick vets.
Priorities.
Even though it is largely only the VA this is abiding by the Law requiring them to report those individuals who are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, or by mental defect to be incapable of the sound judgment needed to own a gun does not mean that those reported should not have been.
Yes, they appear to be singled out… appear to be is the key part here. The appearance is there because the States and Doctors within the states are not doing their part to ensure that those who are mentally defective under the law are reported.
The financial advisor part… Honestly, that usually only comes about because a Veteran has asked to be deemed financially incompetent as a part of a VA Claim, or a Doctor based on comments and or actions on the part of a Veteran determines that they are incompetent to handle their finances due to mental defect.
Those who are deemed incapable of handling their finances due to mental defect may always appeal that decision. I do not believe in all the times I have seen it happen, that there was not a level of incapacity mentally that under the law would also be reportable to NICs and putting them on the list.
I’m listed by the VA because I used to be in the fiduciary program. They declared me competent later, and haven’t changed that, so I’m still competent. I want my firearms rights back. Where do I join the class action lawsuit?
I am in the same boat. I had the decision of incompetent changed to competent. Now I am curious if that since the incompetent decision was reversed if I am listed under the DOJ NICS background check as a mental defective and therefore stripped of my 2nd amendment right as a law bidding citizen.
http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/possession-of-a-firearm-by-the-mentally-ill.aspx
Federal and state statutes governing mental health and gun issues.
Most vets I know are a bit mental, and yes, they have guns, would shoot you in a heartbeat if the need arose.
Being deemed a nutcase just means you can’t buy one legally. There are plenty of other options.
Most states don’t enforce the possession laws, when is the last time you read of someone in court for possession after being deemed mentally unfit? Just doesn’t happen.
The reason the general population doesn’t report as often? Money!! Too many sue happy people in the world.
In my experience, seems like everybody worries too much about what others think of them…except vets, we just don’t give a damn what you think, going to do it anyway. LOL