Senate — Targets PTSD-Afflicted Veterans!
Not true! But why destroy a good story with facts, which seems to be the mantra of one pro-gun group.
Recently, the advocacy group Gun Owners of America (GOA) sent an e-mail to rally the like-minded against H.R. 2640, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System Improvement Amendments Act of 2007. The GOA prefers to call it the “Veterans Disarmament Bill” and says “two New York Democrats are currently planning to roll over gun owners with H.R. 2640 — legislation [that] would bar you from owning guns if: You are a battle-scarred veteran suffering from PTSD …”
We, here at “Inside the Headquarters,” were intrigued. After reading three versions of the bill and conducting numerous word searches we were perplexed — nothing on veterans, PTSD, or any related topics.
So we called the GOA, located in Springfield, Va., at (703) 321-8585 and inquired. Maybe we were missing something. After our conversation with a nice gentleman we came away reasonably sure that the bill does not target veterans in general or those diagnosed with PTSD. While it is possible that veterans diagnosed with some mental or emotional affliction might make it into the background check database possibly through the VA health care system, it is also possible these individuals could get hit by a bus. The VA has submitted names in the past, so this is not new territory.