GOP Amendment Allows ‘Mentally Incapacitated’ Vets to Buy Guns

I'm not much of a fan of Gun Control Legislation. However, I have to question the sanity of any Anti-Gun Control Legislation that moves to allow those who are Mentally Incompetent to legally possess a firearm.

Yet that is precisely what the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act introduced by Senator Burr, R-NC, which is supported by the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart is seeking to do.

GOP Amendment Allows ‘Mentally Incapacitated’ Vets to Buy Guns

A provision in a Senate bill quietly adopted in 2008 yet to reach a vote would allow veterans in the FBI's criminal background system listed as "mentally incapacitated" to purchase firearms. The new law would allow vets on the FBI list to buy weapons if they haven't been ruled ineligible by a judicial body.

Senate Bill Would Allow Mentally Incapacitated Vets to Buy Guns

Yet even the National Rifle Association disputes Burr's description of the process by which veterans are ruled ineligible to own firearms. As the NRA notes in the current issue of its magazine First Freedom, "VA records are only reported to NICS [National Instant Criminal Background Check System] if a patient has been 'adjudicated as a mental defective,' a lengthy process that includes opportunities for hearings, appeals, etc."

Okay, even the NRA has issues with such legislation and are not taking an official stance for or against the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act? Sounds like I'm not the only one who has reservations about this!

Currently there are over over 100,000 mentally incapacitated or incompetent persons who are currently prevented from purchasing firearms under these regulations imposed by the US Veterans' Administration.

I agree that Gun Control should be curbed whenever possible, however, in the case of the mentally ill, incapacitated or incompetent, I personally think that Gun Control restrictions are a good idea. I'd rather we consider removing firearm restrictions on non-violent Felons than the mentally ill, incapacitated or incompetent any day.

This Bill makes little sense and is, in my opinion, an all-around bad idea.

[edit on 16-11-2009 by fraterormus]

I'd let them buy buns.

It's the guns i'd worry about.

What sort of buns?....Hamburger buns or hot dog buns?
Everyone should be allowed to own buns!!

[edit on 11/16/2009 by WhatTheory]

Sorry about the typo.

I cut and pasted from the Original Article. I tested it and sure enough, the original article copy & pastes BUNS instead of GUNS.

Now that's a novel form of Copyright Protection!

However, the article is indeed about Guns and not Buns. Sorry about the distraction. Game on!

It's simple; by allowing the "Mentally Incapacitated" to own guns, we increase the odds of "domestic terrorism" involving gun violence, then they can get even more restrictions to average citizens' rights passed.

They're feeding the problem, and awaiting the reaction so they can offer the solution (more restictions on average citizens' rights which are probably already written up in a file somewhere).

Patriot Act 3.0 anyone?

[edit on 11/16/09 by redmage]

Originally posted by redmage
It's simple; by allowing the "Mentally Incapacitated" to own guns, we increase the odds of "domestic terrorism" involving gun violence, then they can get even more restrictions to average citizens' rights passed.

They're feeding the problem, and awaiting the reaction so they can offer the solution (more restictions on average citizens' rights which are probably already written up in a file somewhere; Patriot Act 3.0 anyone?)

I hadn't considered that possibility. That's a very good point to consider.

If politics is a constant game of CAUSE leading to REACTION leading to LEGISLATION, then those wanting to manipulate the political process would find ways to create causes that would lead to the knee-jerk reaction that would generate the legislation they really want.

For a Bill that otherwise makes little sense, this does make a certain amount of sense.

I think it depends on who is labeled incompitant and why.....

Many soldiers have this labeling, some for $$ due to the amount of $$ disabilty gets a vet....and it keeps them from getting re-called...

Most, "not all" are still very compitant, and some are just lost in the moment of the battle they were in, and have problems facing an unknowing public, that has never had to deal with , real life/death situations.
These are the same ppl that make those vets outcasts and poke/prod them, and then ask why they are a little mad or mental about it..

I just see guns rights ppl going for every foot/hand hold they can get to attack the 2 nd amen......

Personally I don't care, they can make-em illegal, it will be like drugs and alcohol.....anyone that wants these items CAN get them!

Only prohibition of guns will not be, as calm as the alcohol/drug senerios we have had!

Its just sad to see them bending a former soldier over to do it!

I wish I understood the idea of incapacitated more.

Are we speaking about veterans that have ptsd, or a depression after returning from combat? I'm sure vets that have seen war and it's horrors will have some mental problems that they have to work through. I don't think this discounts them as reasonable people in anyway.

We need a strict definition of incapacitated here.

Most vets I know with PTSD (a lot of them) have access to guns already and can legally acquire them from individual transactions without paper work.... In the state where I live it is against the law for a veteran with PTSD to carry a concealed firearm legally(meaning licensed) but it is legal for them to carry a firearm in their vehicle.... With all of the doubletalk as far as gun laws are concerned it leads me to believe there is a lot of room for selective interpretation of them by law enforcement and the judicial system.... I agree that there needs to to be a strict definition of what is mental incapacitation.... I am rated 100% disabled with PTSD and am also a lot less likely to shoot another human being or even an animal than most people, but with the training I had I am also more likely to maintain my cool in a situation that necessitated me to do so and hit what I am aiming at..... That is the last thing I can think of that I would want to do.... PTSD is nothing more than a normal but lasting reaction to a very and or very many abnormal situations and in no way contributes to homicidal behavior.