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Violence Policy Center takes aim at veterans
VPC takes aim at veterans. It's upset that the proposed NICS changes might be too liberal toward vets who have at some point been diagnosed as having mental illness.
" Under the new standard, federal departments or agencies would be prohibited from providing certain mental health records (including mental health records of veterans) to the NICS if the records fell into any of several newly defined categories. For example, if a mental health patient has been "fully released or discharged from all mandatory treatment, supervision, or monitoring," the record of his treatment or hospitalization could not be submitted to the NICS and the individual would be permitted to possess firearms."
"The bill would re-establish a federal "relief" mechanism for persons prohibited from possessing guns because of a mental health disability and would also require states to establish similar state-based "relief from disability" systems in order to be eligible for the grants the bill makes available to improve mental health records."
"This change to the original bill comes in the wake of recent government and private studies revealing that the number of veterans dealing with mental illness is at an all-time high, with many receiving inadequate care. A recent Department of Defense task force study found that the military mental health system lacks providers and is "woefully inadequate" to deal with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, a new study reports that male U.S. veterans are not only twice as likely to commit suicide as men with no military service, but are also 58 percent more likely to kill themselves with a gun than others who commit suicide. A 2000 analysis by the New York Times of 100 "rampage killers" found that the majority (52 percent) had a military background and 47 percent of the killers had a history of mental health problems."
Comments
Tom Coburn is standing strong on this one. And, of course, the NYT is pissed.
Posted by: Letalis at September 7, 2007 10:23 PM
"A 2000 analysis by the New York Times ..." right there that phase is suspect. I don't trust any analysis by the New York Times. Further, no report on how many of those "rampage killers" had combat experience / PTSD. I would just throw out the possibility of very very few, owing to the year studied (2000). The old bromide that figures don't lie, liars figure is appropriate here.
My opinion is this is another straw man of the gun control crowd for incremental, creeping gun grabbing.
Posted by: Devil Dog Dad at September 8, 2007 05:19 PM
Our buddy Josh posted this same BS on Huffington a few weeks ago. Rep McCarthy herself tore him a new one.
I contacted the VFW, DAV, AL, etc. w/ links.
Posted by: thirdpower at September 8, 2007 05:54 PM
Well, well, well. Here we have an open admission that psychiatry and mental health treatments don't actually work.
Posted by: Virginian at September 8, 2007 11:13 PM
My opinion is this is another straw man of the gun control crowd for incremental, creeping gun grabbing. -- Devil Dog Dad
Yep. Only the perfect may possess firearms, or those beholden to the state for their livelihood.
And another thing -- When would someone be fully and completely released from treatment? a Psychologist or Psychiatrist who would do that is more rare than one of Harry Truman's "one-handed economists" (you know, someone who can give advice without saying "but on the other hand. . . ").
Posted by: Windy Wilson at September 10, 2007 11:56 PM