Quote:
Originally Posted by 82ndtrooper
The catch 22 is that I believe the legislation did in fact ask for the disclosure of PTSD patients. As was done with some 8,000 or so veterans through the VA system.
|
82nd, this is such a gross misstatement of the facts that I wonder whether you have, in fact, actually read the legislation for yourself.
Gentlemen, this legislation
does not single out soldiers diagnosed with PTSD, or any other condition, for special treatment under the law. It does not widen the definition of "mentally defective" and it does not lower the requirements for "adjudication", either.
In fact, it does quite the opposite. To quote the Congressional Research Service, Section 101, "Prohibits federal agencies from providing a person's mental health or commitment information to the Attorney General if: (1) such information has been set aside or expunged or the person involved has been fully released or discharged from all mandatory treatment, supervision, or monitoring; (2) the person has been found to no longer suffer from a mental health condition or has been found to be rehabilitated; or (3) the person has not been found to be a danger to himself or others or the person lacks the mental capacity to manage his own affairs."
This represents an
increased level of protection for persons with mental health disorders, coupled with financial incentives to the states to keep the NICS database up to date! In addition, the legislation contains no provisions aimed at persons who voluntarily seek treatment for mental health issues.
Larry Pratt, in the widely-quoted article that started this Internet fiasco, apparently singled out Section 102 at random. It contains none of the the language or provisions which he so disingenuously claims. This is a prime example of the sort of Internet scare-mongering that I hoped this site was above.
You may find complete text of the final bill at the following site:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill...bill=h110-2640.
For more information, the NRA website offers an excellent overview:
http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactShe...=219&issue=018