Rep. Rehberg’s Legislation Protects Veterans’ Gun Rights (Sheridan: house, buying)

[Reziac]

from
Rep. Rehberg

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Denny Rehberg to protect veterans from psychiatric gun bans passed the House this week, thus laying the groundwork to protect all Americans from potential abuse of a federal medical records database.

Since 1999, over 150,000 honorably discharged veterans have lost their gun rights in precisely this manner.

[ElkHunter]

He sounds like a keeper. What has he done for Montana, besides this as this benefits everybody, anything else that's good?

[Geo Roam]

Originally Posted by Reziac

from
Rep. Rehberg

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Denny Rehberg to protect veterans from psychiatric gun bans passed the House this week, thus laying the groundwork to protect all Americans from potential abuse of a federal medical records database.

Since 1999, over 150,000 honorably discharged veterans have lost their gun rights in precisely this manner.

This is great!

Unfortunately, fear of big brother is precisely the reason many vets DO NOT seek help for legitimate cases of PTSD. I wouldn't dare bring it up for fear of future ramifcations.

[Reziac]

Completely aside from the 2nd Amendment issues, I think it's especially important in a state like Montana, where a significant chunk of veterans are also meat hunters who depend on it to feed themselves and their families (and not everyone can be a bow hunter, tho I expect a hostile court would impose the same restriction on bows as on guns, so the issue is really the same). That's an impact on all taxpayers, since if you take away someone's ability to feed themselves, who's gonna pay for it??

[CMartel2]

I like the legislation. For the recored, most of those vets who have a third-party managing their financial affairs (i.e., a payee) are in that situation because they've been using VA pensions and service connection pay-outs to repeatedly buy illegal drugs and getting hospitlized and ending up homeless for it, but that's neither here nor there.

If your gun rights are being stripped away, you should have a legal say in the matter.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by CMartel2

I like the legislation. For the recored, most of those vets who have a third-party managing their financial affairs (i.e., a payee) are in that situation because they've been using VA pensions and service connection pay-outs to repeatedly buy illegal drugs and getting hospitlized and ending up homeless for it, but that's neither here nor there.

If your gun rights are being stripped away, you should have a legal say in the matter.

I'm sorry, but I can assure you that this kid hasn't been buying elecit drugs with the bountiful plendy that the VA has been giving me.

I have been hospitalized many times through the VA. Not ONE has been from an drug or an elicit alcohol. This kid is straight. I spent a lot of years protecting your rights and I am proud of that. I walked in to Viet Name and walked out of Desert Storm. I figure I did my dues. I spent a lot of years sneaking around here and there. I can't tell you the number of years I humped a barris bypod around.

The VA doesn't give me medications and care. I earned them. I spent a lot of hours sneaking around from hither and yon. They are mine!!!!!! You want them, come and get em.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

He sounds like a keeper. What has he done for Montana, besides this as this benefits everybody, anything else that's good?

Specifically, this:
Congressman Denny Rehberg : News Releases : Rehberg Introduces Legislation to Exempt Montana from the Antiquities Act

[You sure can't complain that the bill is overly wordy -- here it is: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/...mp/~c1127daNP2 ]

Also something to try to stop closure of remote post offices in Montana.

Some of those are really surprising, as it could subject residents to a half-hour drive to get their mail (at the next nearest post office), or seriously extend the rural carrier routes if they have to cover the same ground.

It did occur to me to wonder if the time might be ripe for a state-run post office, geared toward in-state mail. Back to the 1800s!!

[CMartel2]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

I'm sorry, but I can assure you that this kid hasn't been buying elecit drugs with the bountiful plendy that the VA has been giving me.

I have been hospitalized many times through the VA. Not ONE has been from an drug or an elicit alcohol. This kid is straight. I spent a lot of years protecting your rights and I am proud of that. I walked in to Viet Name and walked out of Desert Storm. I figure I did my dues. I spent a lot of years sneaking around here and there. I can't tell you the number of years I humped a barris bypod around.

The VA doesn't give me medications and care. I earned them. I spent a lot of hours sneaking around from hither and yon. They are mine!!!!!! You want them, come and get em.

That's very good news. I'm a physician servicing the VA. You'll note I was referring to the majority of vets with payees--not the majority of vets.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by CMartel2

That's very good news. I'm a physician servicing the VA. You'll note I was referring to the majority of vets with payees--not the majority of vets.

That last post was kind of tongue in cheek. I've got to say that I've used the VA since I got out in 92 and I've had wonderful care. Unfortunately, I've had to use the VA too many times as my health is not the best. You know it's bad when I'm on a first name bases with all the staff. hahaha

In the Sheridan Wyoming VA, I've had both good and bad treatment. I will say that they've probably done a top notch job, but when you are sick and hurting, you probably don't think it's the best care.

Rep Rehberg has started something that is really needed and welcomed by all vets. Granted, there are some that shouldn't benefit from this, but hopefully they will be weeded out. I have a ccw and can pass all background checks, but I have a neighbor who's license was pulled because he was in a hospital back in 69. He had just returned home from Nam and he was messed up. He got straight and has been so, ever sense. He was a model of what they made him and now he pays the price.

[Reziac]

That's why "you're messed up" type evaluations should be RE-evaluated regularly, not just assigned to you forever. Because normal people normalize, over time. They don't STAY messed up. Why should they continue to be penalized?? that's like penalizing an adult for having once been a kid.

But that's the problem with one-size-fits-all legislation -- in trying to deal with those relatively-rare destructive corner cases, it damages everyone else's rights. Better to not have the legislation (or as Rehberg is trying to do, nullify it for his constituents, to the benefit of all Montanans) and deal with those rare corner-cases on a case-by-case basis. Montana is not Florida is not Texas is not Hawaii... makes a good case for the 10th Amendment, actually.