A group of residents in northern Idaho lined up outside a U.S. Navy veteran's house on Thursday to protest claims that federal officials are planning on confiscating the man's weapons. Idaho Republican state Rep. Heather Scott of Blanchard said the Veteran Affairs office has sent a letter to John Arnold of Priest River warning him that he cannot possess or purchase firearms.This is one of those situations where a veteran has been declared "incompetent". This is a word which has several possible interpretations, which range from "he needs a lawyer to help him understand the legal complications which may influence his fiscal decisions" to "he can't remember to put his pants on before he leaves his house to pick up the morning paper on his front yard".
Currently, the incompetency declaration doesn't have a single guaranteed avenue of appeal. Which is to say, there are a lot of guvmint wonks who can make the declaration, and it's unclear what the appeal process would be like ... or even if there is an established process where a veteran can appeal this declaration.
Which is a really shitty way for the guvmint to treat our vets ... especially in that it underlines the confidence that veterans can got to Veteran Affairs to help them when they are overwhelmed by either medical or financial issues.
2 comments:
The VA's medical treatment often leaves something to be desired, but it is expanding it's gun grabbing powers.
Check your legal-fu, lads. Last I was aware, the only way a person can be LEGALLY DECLARED "incompetent" is by a Judge of the Probate Court. It occurs to me that what the VA is doing here is an ADMINISTRATIVE declaration, made only for the purpose of appointing another person to legal responsibility for the veteran's benefits. That is NOT the same as making a declaration of MENTAL INCOMPETENCY. Only a Judge can do that, and only after a due process examination in court.
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