It's deliberate with a specific goal; Get all vets declared mentally unfit to purchase/own firearms.
Baby steps, these things take time to take root in the collective consciousness.
To this: I've learned recently that Trump has apparently stopped the Social Security Administration from automatically reporting to NICS anyone who assigns a designated payee to handle their Social Security benefits. But the VA was reporting veterans for the same thing, but that wasn't pursuant to any federal law so Trump's action applied only to the SSA. Does anyone know whether or not the VA is still reporting veterans to NICS if they establish a designated payee for their pension or disability checks?
I just had my six-month checkup at the VA. As usual, during the intake portion of the exam (when the nurse or PA was taking vital signs), more of the time was occupied by answering questions designed to flag me as a suicide risk than was devoted to actually taking and recording me vital signs. In fact, I had the impression that there were a lot more of those questions this time than in previous appointments. The problem is that, as a Second Amendment supporter, my view is that I would have to be REALLY crazy to admit to any of the things the VA regards as flags for suicide, because they would report me to NICS in a heartbeat.
Here's an example: Since February, I have been participating in a voluntary study on using various techniques to control chronic pain. I'm nearing the end of my study period, and I just received my follow-up questionnaire in the mail. Of course, they weren't supposed to mail it to me, it's supposed to be administered in person. Since they mailed it to me, I can see the notes to the administrator.
On one page there are nine questions about mood. Each has four possible answers: "Not at all," "Several Days," "More than Half the Days," or "Nearly Every day." The questions ask about things like "Little interest or pleasure in doing things," "Feeling tired or having little energy," "Poor appetite or overeating," ...
In the note to the administrator at the bottom, it says: "If respondent indicates
ANY answer besides "Not at All" for question (i), see
SUICIDE IDEATION PROTOCOL IMMEDIATELY.
Question (i) is: "Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way?"
The VA absolutely has a problem with veterans committing suicide. I get it. I understand why they want to screen for potential suicides. The problem is, their screening casts such a wide net that if the consequence is a life-long prohibition on possessing (or even touching) firearms, a veteran would have to be certifiably insane to admit to it.
