Skip to comments.

Veterans Disarmament Act To Bar Vets From Owning Guns

GOA ^ | Sept, 2007 | Larry Pratt

Posted on by AuntB

Hundreds of thousands of veterans -- from Vietnam through Operation Iraqi Freedom -- are at risk of being banned from buying firearms if legislation that is pending in Congress gets enacted.

How? The Veterans Disarmament Act -- which has already passed the House -- would place any veteran who has ever been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on the federal gun ban list.

This is exactly what President Bill Clinton did over seven years ago when his administration illegitimately added some 83,000 veterans into the National Criminal Information System (NICS system) -- prohibiting them from purchasing firearms, simply because of afflictions like PTSD.

The proposed ban is actually broader. Anyone who is diagnosed as being a tiny danger to himself or others would have his gun rights taken away... forever. It is section 102(b)(1)(C)(iv) in HR 2640 that provides for dumping raw medical records into the system. Those names -- like the 83,000 records mentioned above -- will then, by law, serve as the basis for gun banning.

No wonder the Military Order of the Purple Heart is opposed to this legislation.

The House bill, HR 2640, is being sponsored by one of the most flaming anti-Second Amendment Representatives in Congress: Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY). Another liberal anti-gunner, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), is sponsoring the bill in the Senate.

Proponents of the bill say that helpful amendments have been made so that any veteran who gets his name on the NICS list can seek an expungement.

But whenever you talk about expunging names from the Brady NICS system, you're talking about a procedure that has always been a long shot. Right now, there are NO EXPUNGEMENTS of law-abiding Americans' names that are taking place under federal level. Why? Because the expungement process which already exists has been blocked for over a decade by a "funds cut-off" engineered by another anti-gunner, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY).

So how will this bill make things even worse? Well, two legal terms are radically redefined in the Veterans Disarmament Act to carry out this vicious attack on veterans' gun rights.

One term relates to who is classified a "mental defective." Forty years ago that term meant one was adjudicated "not guilty" in a court of law by reason of insanity. But under the Veterans Disarmament Act, "mental defective" has been stretched to include anyone whom a psychiatrist determines might be a tiny danger to self or others.

The second term is "adjudicate." In the past, one could only lose one's gun rights through an adjudication by a judge, magistrate or court -- meaning conviction after a trial. Adjudication could only occur in a court with all the protections of due process, including the right to face one's accuser. Now, adjudication in HR 2640 would include a finding by "a court, commission, committee or other authorized person" (namely, a psychiatrist).

Forget the fact that people with PTSD have the same violent crime rate as the rest of us. Vietnam vets with PTSD have had careers and obtained permits to carry firearms concealed. It will now be enough for a psychiatric diagnosis (a "determination" in the language of the bill) to get a veteran barred -- for life -- from owning guns.

Think of what this bill would do to veterans. If a robber grabs your wallet and takes everything in it, but gives you back $5 to take the bus home, would you call that a financial enhancement? If not, then we should not let HR 2640 supporters call the permission to seek an expungement an enhancement, when prior to this bill, veterans could not legitimately be denied their gun rights after being diagnosed with PTSD.

Veterans with PTSD should not be put in a position to seek an expungement. They have not been convicted (after a trial with due process) of doing anything wrong. If a veteran is thought to be a threat to self or others, there should be a real trial, not an opinion (called a diagnosis) by a psychiatrist.

If members of Congress do not hear from soldiers (active duty and retired) in large numbers, along with the rest of the public, the Veterans Disarmament Act -- misleadingly titled by Rep. McCarthy as the NICS Improvement Amendments Act -- will send this message to veterans: "No good deed goes unpunished."



TOPICS:

Constitution/Conservatism

Crime/Corruption

Government

KEYWORDS:

110th

2ndamendment

banglist

fundraisinglie

goa

gunowners

hr2640

ptsd

rkba

veterans

vets

I searched FR for this. Not much. It has passed the house by voice vote, so no record of the traitors. Evidently NRA supports it and claims it will not do what GOA says. More analysis here: http://republicanmichigander.blogspot.com/2007/06/gun-bill-passes-house-hr2640.html Here is Thomas on the bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.02640:



To: AuntB

OMG ... can we please get past this? The GOA says that the NRA are a bunch of gun grabbing socialists, and the NRA says different. My opinion is that the bill doesn't even begin to do what the GOA says and that this is just more of the same old GOA tactic of attacking their friends in order to drum up some cash. It really does get old fast.



To: AuntB

It’s one reason (among others) why mental “disorders” are overdiagnosed. It disqualifies you from many things, including your rights.



To: AuntB

some time ago I walked out of a VA Mental hygene clinic

because the fat broad who drew me was more interested

about two things with zero relevance. The guns I own—

and my sex life. I will be writnig letters— and I will

be keeping my guns up / loaded/ and ready to rock n roll



To: SteveMcKing

That’s not true. Medical records remain private unless you’ve been judged incompetent by a court of law. The doctor can accuse you of anything he likes.



To: tcostell

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c110:3:./temp/~c110FVLssV:: Read it and say the same!



by 6 posted onby HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto)

To: tcostell

There are a million threads out there about this.



To: AuntB

COSPONSORS(17), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)

Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] - 6/11/2007

Rep Boucher, Rick [VA-9] - 6/11/2007

Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23] - 6/11/2007

Rep Castle, Michael N. [DE] - 6/11/2007

Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI] - 6/13/2007

Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] - 6/11/2007

Rep Emanuel, Rahm [IL-5] - 6/11/2007

Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] - 6/11/2007

Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] - 6/11/2007

Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 6/11/2007

Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [NJ-8] - 6/11/2007

Rep Ross, Mike [AR-4] - 6/13/2007

Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 6/11/2007

Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] - 6/11/2007

Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] - 6/12/2007

Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] - 6/11/2007

Rep Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [FL-20] - 6/11/2007 THOMAS Home | Contact | Accessibility | Legal | FirstGov



by 8 posted onby HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto)

To: StonyBurk

The guns I ownand my sex life.



The ONLY person I've met that associated guns and s-e-x was a

very bright guy from New York who was in dental school at the

University of Oklahoma at the time.



Nice guy...but somehow his time above the Mason-Dixon line gave

him some CRAZY ideas about some BIZARRE association of gun ownership

and sexual gratification.



He must have adopted the story line of The Beatles "Happiness

Is A Warm Gun" hook, line and sinker.



PS: I do remember "Stoney Burke" and Jack Lord.

And yes, that does date me a bit.



To: Joe Brower; B4Ranch; river rat; Squantos

To: tcostell

I hope you are right. Did you read the bill? The list of leftie sponsors are pretty scary.



by 11 posted onby AuntB (" It takes more than walking across the border to be an American." Duncan Hunter)

To: AuntB

Back Again— When I was serving on active Duty and assigned to the PCZ (Panama Canal Zone)I was given copy of an official US Dept. of State Pamphlet Living at peace in a world without war Doc. #7277 prepared for JFK setting up a new government beurocracy and three stage plan to disarm the United States—and arm the United Nations. To my knowledge this has Never been dismantled. But has been

internalized. Does seem true this bit of legislation is

proof the evil remains alive.7277 is pretty much the

dominant conspiracy theory worthy of discussion.



To: Travis McGee

I’m still reading, but have to stop a while. I haven’t found anything in the bill yet that mentions vets and ptsd.



by 13 posted onby AuntB (" It takes more than walking across the border to be an American." Duncan Hunter)

To: tcostell

Medical records remain private unless youve been judged incompetent by a court of law. The doctor can accuse you of anything he likes. Maybe when a few of those "doctors" get locked up for perjury and other things, they'll learn a lesson.



by 14 posted onby darkangel82 (Socialism is NOT an American value.)

To: AuntB

amazing! and i know a tv-moron union democrap that would support this. she’s a bush hater too.



by 15 posted onby ken21 ( people die + you never hear from them again.)

To: AuntB

It seems to me like they would be able to ban all veterans from owning firearms! This would be the for the fact that they were a threat to others! Um, ah, like the enemy!



To: VOA

He must have adopted the story line of The Beatles "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" hook, line and sinker. ______________________________________________ "Happiness is a Warm Gun" is about shooting heroin, not firearms.



by 17 posted onby wtc911 ("How you gonna get back down that hill?")

To: StonyBurk; All

some quotes about the bill... “Through the years, we’ve had our differences with the National Rifle Association.... Today, we write in praise the NRA.” — The San Francisco Chronicle 06/15/07 “The Virginia Tech shootings were a horrific reminder of the gaps in U.S. gun laws. The [NRA] knew its usual opposition to any and every solution we brought forward would be unacceptable to the American public so it made this concession.” — Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence e-mail alert “For the first time [in history, HR 2640], if enacted, would statutorily impose a lifetime gun ban on battle-scarred veterans.” — Military Order of the Purple Heart 06/18/07 “The NRA has told its members in the past that Carolyn McCarthy is one of the worst of the gun banners and now the NRA has crawled in bed with her!” — Virginia Citizens Defense League “We’re hopeful that now that the NRA has come around to our point of view in terms of strengthening the Brady background checks, that now we can take the next step after this bill passes [to impose additional gun control].” — Paul Helmke of the Brady Campaign on CNN 06/13/07 http://www.gunowners.org/ne0707.htm



by 18 posted onby AuntB (" It takes more than walking across the border to be an American." Duncan Hunter)

To: AuntB

BUMP



by 19 posted onby granite ("We dare not tempt them with weakness" - JFK)

To: AuntB

Headline:

Gunowners of American{GOA} supports supplying mental patients wit;h firearms



Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

FreeRepublic , LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794

FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson