Because he was too truthful.

"I was trusted by the {federal} government to carry a loaded weapon, but now I am not allowed to purchase one by my local government," he said.

Mechaley, 32, has received counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder related to his service in Iraq. While completing an application for a gun permit, he responded "yes" to a question that asked whether he was being treated for a mental disorder.

"I circled yes because I wanted to be completely honest," he said.

As explanation, he wrote "PTSD from Iraq Marine combat veteran" on the form.

Mechaley's application on Jan. 10 was rejected, he was told, because of that answer.

After talking with police, Mechaley said he had been "too truthful" on the application.

He started to research gun-permit laws and applications and concluded that Omaha's permit application was overly vague on its mental-disorder question.

"If I was actually mentally defective, it would have shown up on the (National Criminal Investigation Service) background check when I purchased my hunting rifle."

What the permit form should ask, he said, is whether the applicant has ever been pronounced mentally impaired or has been committed to a mental institution.

"That's what the (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) form asks, and that's a valid point," he said. "I feel the form at the Omaha Police Department is too broad and misses the point of our laws."

A psychiatry professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center said, however, that having guns on hand could be too big of a risk for some with severe cases of PTSD.

Dr. Carl Greiner said he wasn't familiar with Mechaley's case and couldn't comment on it.

In general, he said, "There would be some specific instances where I would be concerned about someone owning a handgun because of public safety issues."

Using alcohol or drugs to deal with PTSD is a sign of potential trouble, Greiner said.

"That could result in lowered impulse control and the person might be more likely to use a gun," he said.

A gun permit also shouldn't be allowed when someone suffering from PTSD has a history of violence upon awakening, Greiner said.

"If that were the case and someone wanted to keep a handgun under their pillow, it could be a risk to family, friends and others," he said.

Many veterans suffer from PTSD, said Dr. Ahsan Naseem, director of the Lincoln post-traumatic stress disorder clinic of the Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System.

"It would be uncommon for a combat veteran to not be affected by combat, which is not to say that each combat veteran would suffer from PTSD," he said.

Again. This is utter bullshit.

Posted by: eddiebear at 10:36 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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