Distortions, lies, and agendas. I got to the truth of one issue:

[OneGrassRoot]

I posted a few days ago, asking if there was any truth to something that was being passed around about the VFW weapons inventory, with the same inflammatory vibe of so many rumors, "they're coming to take your guns!!!!" A fairly rational person, not a fanatical right-winger, believed this story. And, since he is someone I would have assumed would NOT believe only one resource, I was curious about this particular charge against the Obama Administration. I don't have a personal interest in this issue, but I'm just so darn tired of crap being spewed and ingested as fact.

Here's my initial thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5840214

I contacted this Sgt. Dan West myself, as it's so darn hard to believe much these days without various confirming resources.

It seems this issue is coming to a head here at DU right now, so I thought an example of getting the truth directly from the source would be encouraging (or discouraging, as this confirms how lies are so prevalent and believed by those who DON'T know to not assume anything just because they read it online or saw it on TV or heard it on the radio).

Sgt. West called me just a few minutes ago and then sent me an email directly. I realize you guys don't know me, but since he specifically said I can distribute far and wide, DU is a great place to disseminate truth and facts when possible.

So, that's what I'm doing (note: emphasis mine). :patriot:


Ms. Patrick,

Please feel free to distribute as far and as wide as you can.

In response to the article “Government Demands Inventory of All VFW Weapons” by Kurt Nimmo posted on the Alex Jones’ infowars.com website on June 9, 2009. Let me confirm that I did send out the email to VFW District Commanders in Texas so they would pass the request on to the VFW Posts they have oversight of. I have never been contacted by Kurt Nimmo or Alex Jones as to the veracity or authentication of my email. I find this to be extremely irresponsible journalism.

Let me also add that to my knowledge the U.S. Government is not trying to take away any weapons or equipment from any VFW Post nor is this an attempt by the government to register or list which VFW Post has what, they already know, they sent me the list, the weapons and equipment although demilitarized belong to the U.S. Government. Demilitarized is not the same as decommissioned.

Representatives from U.S. Army TACOM contacted me in regards to non-existent VFW Posts as Texas VFW has had several dozen VFW Posts close in the last several years that had weapons/equipment ISSUED (Not donated) from U.S. Army TACOM. Before these missing weapons/equipment are reported as stolen, U.S. Army TACOM has asked that we assist in accounting for them as they may have been transferred to another VFW Post without proper documentation. If they have been transferred to another VFW Post that is fine it just needs to be documented per long standing and established TACOM guidelines.

Accounting for weapons/equipment issued from U.S. Army TACOM on a routine basis is nothing new and has been done for several decades. Any one who has served in the military is familiar with accountability for government issued weapons and equipment.

I would mention the Civilian Marksmanship Program is a program where the U.S. Government takes refurbished military rifles (M1 Garand’s & 1903 Springfield Rifles) and encourages civilians to purchase them for a fraction of their cost for the purpose of learning marksmanship. This is a program where the government is actually encouraging its citizens to purchase and posses a military firearm and learn how to use it.

It is unfortunate that some have decided to use this request to account for demilitarized (Not decommissioned) U.S. Government owned weapons/equipment as something it is not in order to press their own agenda without first verifying the information.

Thank you for contacting me directly on this matter I appreciate your concern.

My response to this fear mongering is also available at the following websites.


http://brainshavings.com/2009/06/the-army-is-not-hassling-the-vfw.html

and at the Military Officers Association of America: http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/2009/06/texas_vf/



Dan West

Sgt. USMC (Ret.)

Assistant Adjutant

Department of Texas

Veterans of Foreign Wars

www.texasvfw.org

[Lasher]

1. Very good!

This squares with what I know about US government M1 rifles that have been issued to VFW posts. I don't think anyone has been keeping track of them as they were supposed to do.

I wish we had more contributors like you.

Edit: Please consider posting this in the DU Propaganda Debunking Group