Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Let's honor our veterans by protecting their Second Amendment rights

Monday, November 7, 2011

This Friday, as we honor the courage and sacrifice of our U.S. military veterans, we should also be mindful of a terrible injustice that too many of them are forced to endure when they come home from the field of battle: the loss of their Second Amendment rights.

Today there are roughly 114,000 veterans and veterans’ family members who have had their ability to purchase a firearm in the U.S. stripped away. These are men and women who not only swore an oath to support the Constitution, but who risked their lives, lost their limbs and suffered the immense pain of separation from their families, all to defend our constitutional rights. How can this happen?

The problem arises when a veteran who is eligible for disability compensation, a pension and other benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs has a fiduciary appointed to act on his or her behalf. Under current law, these veterans are deemed “mentally defective” and their names are reported to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which prevents them from purchasing firearms in the United States.

Yet the VA’s review process for assigning a fiduciary to a veteran in no way determines whether that veteran poses any risk to himself or others. It is only meant to determine whether or not a veteran needs help managing his or her VA benefits.

Thankfully, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation last month that would eliminate this injustice, and a companion bill was recently introduced in the Senate. The “Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act” would protect all veterans from being legally judged as “mental defectives” unless a court of law finds they are actually a threat to themselves or others.

In essence, the bill would protect America’s veterans from a loss of rights that Americans who don’t get veterans’ benefits don’t have to worry about. The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action has fought long and hard for veterans’ rights on this issue, and we now look forward to continuing our fight in the Senate.

This is an issue that really hits home for us at NRA. Our organization was founded by military veterans in 1871, and our members have proudly served this nation ever since. A good number of the men and women in our current NRA family are either veterans themselves or have immediate family members who served in the military. Many of our members are also currently deployed far away from home, or have loved ones serving overseas.

So perhaps more than any other organization, we consider it an abject tragedy that so many of our veterans return home, after risking life and limb to defend our freedom, only to be stripped of their Second Amendment rights because they need help managing their compensation. Our war heroes deserve the same due process under the law that all Americans enjoy, and they deserve it now.

Later this week we will come together as a nation to honor our veterans for their patriotic duty, unimaginable sacrifice and profound bravery. We should also honor them by encouraging our senators to pass the “Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act.” Our government needs to treat the constitutional rights of our veterans with the same reverence it extends to other Americans.

It’s the least we can do for those who risked their lives protecting us and defending our freedom.

Chris W. Cox is the Executive Director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) and serves as the organization’s chief lobbyist

This article first appeared at the Daily Callerhttp://dailycaller.com/2011/11/07/lets-honor-our-veterans-by-protecting-their-second-amendment-rights/#ixzz1hmSvv5dy

TRENDING NOW
Last Chance for Gun Owners to Ask U.S. House to Amend the Reconciliation Bill

News  

Monday, May 19, 2025

Last Chance for Gun Owners to Ask U.S. House to Amend the Reconciliation Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives has another chance to amend the current Reconciliation Bill making its way through Congress. The Reconciliation Bill would currently rescind the unconstitutional tax on suppressors, but it doesn’t remove them ...

Clueless Anti-gun Democrats Dig Themselves an Ever Deeper Hole

Monday, May 19, 2025

Clueless Anti-gun Democrats Dig Themselves an Ever Deeper Hole

Anyone reading the firearm-related news these days is reminded that anti-gun Democrats appear oblivious to the blunt message sent by millions of American voters last fall. Despite Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris blowing through a mountain ...

Trump DOJ Settles Lawsuits Involving Forced Reset Triggers

News  

Monday, May 19, 2025

Trump DOJ Settles Lawsuits Involving Forced Reset Triggers

On Friday, May 16, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the settlement of several lawsuits arising from the Biden-Harris regime’s attempt to reclassify forced reset triggers (FRTs) as “machineguns.” DOJ’s announcement cited President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting ...

Another Court Determines Magazines Aren’t “Arms” in Upholding Arbitrary Limits

News  

Monday, May 19, 2025

Another Court Determines Magazines Aren’t “Arms” in Upholding Arbitrary Limits

Last week, the Washington State Supreme Court upheld the state’s ban on magazines that hold over ten rounds, overturning a lower court order that had deemed it unconstitutional. The 7-2 decision in State v. Gator’s Custom ...

Rocky Times for Gun Owners in the Rocky Mountain State

News  

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Rocky Times for Gun Owners in the Rocky Mountain State

As the Colorado legislative session closes, its 2025 edition will long be remembered and lamented as a historic assault on the Second Amendment.

House Committee on Ways and Means Advances Legislation Involving Suppressors

News  

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

House Committee on Ways and Means Advances Legislation Involving Suppressors

Early this morning, The House Committee on Ways & Means, led by Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO-08) finished a markup of their section of the Reconciliation Bill. Included in this legislation was a provision which would ...

Arizona: Governor Hobbs Vetoes Three Pro-Gun Bills Passed by Legislature

Friday, May 16, 2025

Arizona: Governor Hobbs Vetoes Three Pro-Gun Bills Passed by Legislature

Despite strong support from the Arizona Legislature, Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed Senate Bills 1014, 1020, and 1143, each of which sought to protect and enhance the rights of law-abiding gun owners in the Grand Canyon ...

Illinois: Legislation to Shut Down Gun Manufacturers in Committee Tomorrow

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Illinois: Legislation to Shut Down Gun Manufacturers in Committee Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the House Gun Violence Prevention Committee will hear House Bill 3320, a dangerous proposal that could effectively shut down firearm manufacturing in Illinois. Please use the Take Action button below to contact committee members and ...

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

News  

Friday, March 21, 2025

Trump Administration Revives Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Provision

On March 20, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an interim final rule entitled, Withdrawing the Attorney General’s Delegation of Authority. That bland title belies the historic nature of the measure, which is aimed at reviving ...

Is Hogg’s time up at the DNC?

News  

Monday, May 19, 2025

Is Hogg’s time up at the DNC?

The last time we mentioned David Hogg, he had been selected to be a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and wasted no time making some (many?) regret that choice. Why? Because one of ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.