Committee votes to protect vet gun ownership

Committee votes to protect vet gun ownership

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jun 27, 2008 6:27:14 EDT

Lists of veterans who have been assigned fiduciaries to handle financial matters on their behalf could not be used to prevent gun ownership under an amendment approved by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Thursday.

By voice vote, the committee attached to a veterans’ health care bill an amendment prohibiting the Department of Veterans Affairs from sharing lists of so-called “incompetent” veterans with the FBI. Only if there has been specific ruling that a veteran poses a risk to himself or others could the VA pass a name on to the FBI for inclusion in records used to make instant background checks before gun purchases, under the amendment to S 2969, the Veterans’ Health Care Authorization Act of 2008.

Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, ranking Republican on the veterans’ committee and the chief sponsor of the amendment, said the VA makes a determination of incompetence based, primarily, on whether a veteran is capable of handling his own finances. If he cannot, a fiduciary is appointed to handle their benefits.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/military_veterans_gunownership_062608w/

Not sure on this one at all. A friend is in this postition. What we have to remember is that there is not always a one size fits all answer. Some of these veterans should never have been able to own a gun, just like some people in this country should never be able to own one. But what is the answer? Do we go with this but allow the local law enforcement to make their own rules given the fact they are the ones dealing with whatever happens in the long run? Murphy and Akaka want to side on common sense but Burr wants to take the side of the NRA attitude. Who is right?

When Congress was taking on gun ownership for PTSD veterans, they were very upset wondering if veterans with mild PTSD would have to give up their jobs if they had to give up their guns. some of them decided that they would not seek treatment for PTSD because of this. Would you rather see a veteran with PTSD owning a gun and not getting help or would you rather see them getting help and keeping their jobs? Again there is not a one size fits all answer when it comes to PTSD. After all, we do have thousands of them in Iraq and Afghanistan right now with weapons a lot more dangerous than a hand gun.