M14 Forum

GARRARD · October 14th, 2011, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Today, U.S. Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Jim Webb (D-VA), along with 10 other cosponsors, introduced legislation that would end the arbitrary process through which the government strips veterans and other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries of their Second Amendment rights. Currently, veterans who have a fiduciary appointed to act on their behalf are deemed “mentally defective” and are reported to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), a system which prevents them from being able to purchase firearms in the United States. The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act would require a judicial authority to determine that VA beneficiaries pose a danger to themselves or others before they can be added to the FBI’s NICS.

“Taking away a Constitutional right is a serious action, and veterans should be afforded the same due process under the law as all other American citizens,” Burr said. “This legislation would protect the rights of veterans and their families by ensuring that only a proper judicial authority is able to determine who is referred to NICS. Our veterans took an oath to uphold the Constitution and they deserve to enjoy the rights they fought so hard to protect.”

“As a matter of fairness, a veteran should be permitted to purchase a firearm under the same conditions as every other American,” said Senator Webb. “This bipartisan bill ensures consistent guidelines are used for reporting citizens to the FBI, and that no veteran is needlessly stripped of their Second Amendment rights.”

The Federal Gun Control Act prohibits certain individuals who have been deemed a “mental defective” from purchasing a firearm. Currently, around 114,000 people who are receiving VA benefits have been reported to NICS, stripping them of their constitutional rights simply because VA appointed a fiduciary to act on their behalf. A fiduciary is assigned to handle disability compensation, pensions, survivors’ compensation, and other VA payments on behalf of a veteran, surviving spouse, dependent child, or dependent parent. VA's review process for assigning a fiduciary is meant to determine one's ability to manage VA-provided cash assistance. The process does not determine whether they are a danger to themselves or others.

http://burr.senate.gov/public/index...._id=&Issue_id=

washington · November 12th, 2011, 06:47 PM

This should be on the front page of every patriot/liberty/firearm website in America. This is a backhanded insult and just an outrageous violation of every form of decency. Perfectly normal veterans being denied their god given right to defend themselves and initiated by the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION !! Not only that but anyone living in the same household looses their right to posses a firearm. Anyone still on the couch as to The direction of this government better wake up fast. UNBELIEVABLE.

BrokenVet · November 13th, 2011, 01:28 PM

The above has been around a while three maybe fours years or so, but the actions of the senators are new.

In 2008 the revised ATF form 4473, the question about mental defective was changed to read, mentally defective to include, "determined by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority that you are a danger to yourself or others...."

could be lots of vets affected by this.

RAMMAC · November 13th, 2011, 02:17 PM

Longer than three or four years. Ever since the Brady Bill passed the VA has been screwing vets over this issue and just a year or two afterwards congress people starting putting bills up to try to fix the problem, but they never pass.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrokenVet

The above has been around a while three maybe fours years or so, but the actions of the senators are new.

In 2008 the revised ATF form 4473, the question about mental defective was changed to read, mentally defective to include, "determined by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority that you are a danger to yourself or others...."

could be lots of vets affected by this.

Palladin · November 13th, 2011, 06:46 PM

The government is searching for ways to remove our rights. I read recently that autism is now a disqualyfing condition for gun ownership.