Petraeus and other ex-generals oppose Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act

By Andrew Shepperson

Former CIA Director and retired Gen. David Petraeus (Photo: AP)
Former CIA director and retired Army Gen. David Petraeus and other retired admirals and generals have opposed a bill they say would endanger mentally-ill veterans by allowing them to access firearms.
The bill in contention, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, would prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs from reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) the records of veterans deemed mentally unable to manage their finances. The legislation would prevent the VA from deeming veterans mentally-ill without a judicial ruling.
In a Tuesday letter sent to leading legislators in the U.S. Congress, the Veterans Coalition for Common Sense, a group started by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly, asked lawmakers to oppose the bill.
After noting that veterans are at a much higher risk for suicide than civilians and that many veterans currently listed in the NICS suffer from schizophrenia and PTSD, the coalition members wrote:
For these individuals, possession of a firearm could be fatal. The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act would put at risk the safety of these veterans and our communities by changing the standard for gun prohibition, so the VA’s determinations would no longer stop a veteran

Source: Guns.com