Veterans and Guns

The Liberty Zone – by Nicki

Lots of vets are coming back from downrange, depressed and downright traumatized. They’ve been away from their families. They need to adjust to being with their loved ones. They need to deal with the horrors of war they may have experienced. It’s difficult. It’s frightening.  

And sometimes they need help.

Problem is because of the paranoid, hoplophobic gun grabbers we have in this country, these veterans, who have fought to defend the Constitution of the United States, and who made a commitment to defend this nation, are being deprived of their Constitutional rights merely because they sought help.

After the massacre at Sandy Hook, this nation began to focus on keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. The problem is that as usual, those wishing to fix things overreact and wind up snaring law-abiding citizens in their anti-freedom snare.

Case in point – AB.

As it happens, AB called the Veterans Authority to get some help with the depression he was experiencing. but instead of the VA helping him, the agency called the local police department in Daytona Beach.

The Daytona Beach police swooped down on AB’s home and had him forcibly committed to the hospital for a psychological evaluation. Then the police crashed through his home and confiscated all his guns, ammunition, bows, arrows, and anything else they thought could be used as a weapon.

AB was eventually cleared as mentally fit, but now the police are refusing to return the man’s personal property illegally taken from his home.

AB filled out all the proper paperwork, filed all the medical affidavits the cops demanded he obtain, but still authorities refuse to return the property.

Now police are saying they’ll need a court order which means the poor citizen would be forced to withstand the burden of gaining legal counsel and going to court.

So because AB recognized he needed some help getting over his depression, and called the VA, which is supposed to be a resource to help those who have returned from serving their nation, he has been victimized by “the law” – his property stolen and his rights trampled.

Most vets who return from downrange and who suffer from post traumatic stress are not violent. Holding PTSD and depression responsible for violence in vets is simplistic and incorrect.

“When you hear about veterans committing acts of violence, many people assume that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or combat exposure are to blame,” Elbogen said. “But our study shows that is not necessarily true.” The national survey revealed that other factors are just as important to understanding violence in veterans, including alcohol misuse, criminal background, as well as veterans’ living, work, social, and financial circumstances. In fact, the survey found that veterans who didn’t have enough money to cover basic needs were more likely to report aggressive behavior than veterans with PTSD.

And yet, a man realizes he needs help, uses the resources available to him to do so, and is promptly relieved of his rights.

Worse yet, he must spend money and time to get his property back, because the “authorities” refuse do return it.

This is not being proactive. It’s being paranoid and tyrannical. This isn’t about keeping guns out of the hands of potentially violent people who would harm others. This is about keeping guns out of the hands of the people.

This will also prevent veterans from getting help when they need it. Why would they want to contact the VA if they will be treated like common criminals for their trouble? Why would they admit that they need help with depression, if their trust will be violated, their property will be confiscated and they will have to spend money and effort to have their rights restored?

These types of situations will ensure that fewer and fewer veterans will seek help – help they may desperately need and they richly deserve after having served their nation.

https://thelibertyzone.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/veterans-and-guns/