Gun reports scream of need for both sides to calm down

If everyone is screaming about what has to be done, nothing will get done right. The NRA side does not want "assault weapons" banned and want to go after people with mental illness. Ok, then what does this say about the veterans with PTSD? Veterans/gun owners with PTSD are afraid to go to the VA for help with PTSD because they do not want to give up their guns. Is that helping them to "save their lives" as we were told when all of these suicide prevention bills came out? No, it is keeping them away from help. The logic of the congress was that taking away guns would cut down on suicides but while the typical means of suicides has been guns, no one is talking about the reason the numbers have gone up.

The Democrats have been just as wrong because they ignore the fact bullets kill people and they are easier to get than guns. They want to do background checks, which most people support on both sides but they don't seem to be talking much about the ability to buy bullets with nothing more than the money to pay for them. Criminals get talked about a lot but again, they wouldn't be able to load their guns if they couldn't buy bullets. Does it matter if a gun can hold more bullets if they can't get the bullets anymore?

Veterans are falling into all this mess and it will take everyone talking to each other to find the right answer. Here's an example of what all this is doing. People need to clam down so they can start to listen to the other side.

Arrest of decorated former Fort Drum soldier raising bloggers' ire
By David C. Shampine
Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
Published: February 10, 2013

WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Bloggers are storming Jefferson County with their anger and disbelief over the arrest in January of a former Fort Drum soldier because he had in his car an empty “large capacity ammunition feeding device.”

The shower of criticism, which takes direct aim at the sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices, is fueling a defense fund for Nathan H. Haddad, 32, of 25240 Waddingham Road, town of LeRay, that at the latest report had grown to more than $34,500.

His brother, Michael Haddad, Jamestown, who spearheaded the show of support, has set a $100,000 goal.

Michael Haddad could not be reached Friday for comment, but in a blog he wrote, “The purpose of this fund was to be able to provide a vigorous, tenacious and viable defense for an honorable man who served his country and is now a victim of a government that has taken routine actions and criminalized them.”

Nathan Haddad was arrested on the evening of Jan. 6 on Steinhilber Road in the town of LeRay by a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy on five felony counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He did not possess weapons or ammunition in his car, but had five 30-round AR-15 magazines for ammunition. He was not jailed, but awaits grand jury action on charges that, if he is convicted, could bring him a prison sentence.

One of the early bloggers who took up Mr. Haddad’s cause alleged that he was being charged under New York’s recently legislated gun laws, which were passed in reaction to the Newtown, Conn., school massacre, but were not yet in effect.
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A marksman in Iraq; No gun permit in Omaha

This is one of the biggest problems the veterans have in seeking help for PTSD. Congress in their usual lack of wisdom and consistent short sightedness, passed this bill thinking it would prevent PTSD veterans from committing suicide. The problem is, all it ended up doing was keeping veterans with guns from getting help so they can keep their guns. It has prevented many veterans from seeking the help they need because they served and their service required them to not only use weapons, but their lives depended on those weapons. Smart people would rather have a veteran with PTSD and a gun getting help than have a PTSD veteran with a gun and getting no help at all. As a matter of fact, any moral person would. I don't have a gun, never shot a gun and would never buy a gun, so for me to turn into a gun rights advocate shocks even me. But considering that responsible gun ownership should include responsible people wounded by PTSD getting help, that seems to be a better solution. If they want to kill themselves, the gun is not the problem but the system is. If they want to commit suicide a gun is the usual means but if not, then they find another way to do it. I've talked to too many veterans to know this keeps them from getting help and does more harm than good.

Published Thursday March 5, 2009

A marksman in Iraq; No gun permit in Omaha
BY KEVIN COLE
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Sgt. Tim Mechaley trained fellow Marines to fire .50-caliber machine guns. He qualified as a marksman. He fought in the battle for Fallujah, Iraq, and received a combat medal with a "V" for valor.

Yet, when Mechaley sought to buy a 9-mm Ruger pistol for protection at his midtown apartment, the Omaha Police Department rejected his application for a gun permit.

"I was trusted by the government to carry a loaded weapon, but now I am not allowed to purchase one by my local government," he said.

Mechaley, 32, has received counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder related to his service in Iraq. While completing an application for a gun permit, he responded "yes" to a question that asked whether he was being treated for a mental disorder.

"I circled yes because I wanted to be completely honest," he said.

As explanation, he wrote "PTSD from Iraq Marine combat veteran" on the form.

Mechaley's application on Jan. 10 was rejected, he was told, because of that answer.

After talking with police, Mechaley said he had been "too truthful" on the application. click link for more