Veteran illegally denied gun permit

Bush conservatives claim to be such great patriots and such unmistakable Second Amendment champions that you'd think they'd let an Iraq War vet exercise his right to buy a gun. But this story is yet another that proves that what Bushists say doesn't always jibe with what they do.

A decorated Iraq War vet in Omaha has now been denied a permit to purchase a pistol. This despite the fact that he trained fellow Marines on firing guns, qualified as a marksman, and received a combat medal. Not only that, but he already has a rifle for target shooting, and he is still in the Marine Reserves - so why would he be denied a gun permit now?

Well, it turns out he has post-traumatic stress disorder from his war service. Because of current rules (which were supported by the Bush regime), Omaha authorities disqualified him from buying a gun.

Did the rightist bureaucrats even know what PTSD is? Probably. But they just don't give a shit.

PTSD is not a psychotic illness, and the veteran in this story has never been committed to a mental institution. Unfortunately, for 8 years, the Bush regime seemed always eager to outdo itself in stabbing veterans - especially those with PTSD - in the back.

If you think I'm just blustering because of my preexisting disapproval of the Bushes, read about an infamous individual named Sally Satel. Satel is a shrink who has authored several far-right titles. She was appointed by Bush to help run the hated TeenScreen and to encourage states to expand forced mental health treatment. Satel wrote an article in 2004 in which she absurdly claimed that PTSD is a hoax devised by veterans so they can collect more government benefits.

Satel's view isn't exactly what I call supporting the troops.

Unluckily, this was a pattern under Bush. I truly wish I could say America had a leader for 8 years who supported the country's brave fighting men and women. But when Bush was in charge, it didn't.

And frankly, the political views of the veteran in this story aren't an issue, as far as I'm concerned. It's unknown what his views are, but if he's a progressive populist, or if he thinks the Bushes are just swell, it should have no effect on whether he's allowed to buy a gun.

This story worked out in the veteran's favor: An appeals board has now approved his gun permit.

Perhaps the real lesson here is that nobody should blindly trust the mental health system - which seems hell-bent on denying everyone their rights.

(Source: http://www.military.com/news/article/vet-denied-gun-permit-over-ptsd-care.html)