You - and probably many others - obviously have no idea what it's like to deal with the VA. My dad died from lung cancer 9 years ago in a VA hospital. During the initial process of evaluating his illness it took them almost eight months of filling out forms, trying to get appointments, evaluations, etc; all the while they told him his cough that wouldn't go away was due to allergies (that he'd never had before). Once he finally got admitted, they were able to keep him on painkillers until he died. Apparently the window of opportunity for treatment had passed and the cancer rapidly progressed while he was trying to navigate the bureaucratic process. Even at age 81, his mind was still sharp and being a retired mechanical engineer he was still quite capable of analytical thought and managing his finances. Had he asked for assistance in navigating the bureaucratic nightmare that is the VA process, or expediting the benefits and medical treatments to which he was entitled, he would have been denied the right to own or purchase a firearm under the current Obama administration regulations.
Apparently this is typical of the experiences our veterans experience. Now in addition to this abuse they're being denied a basic constitutional right due to the incompetence of others.
http://allenbwest.com/2015/02/calling-veterans-send-experiences-va-system/
You are almost correct, bc I do have some idea of what it's like to deal with a government agency, especially one that is giving one benefits, [for which one should be grateful, even though one actually
earned them]. In my case, it was unemployment. My first time applying, I was disqualified for stating a preference for working evenings/nights, because I was a single parent who wanted to spend some time with my child. I did not state that I would work
only those shifts, but the form asked if there were any preferences, so I was truthful. [Cleveland State's Marshall College of Law students took the case and got the decision reversed, thankfully.]
Anecdotal things like these are one reason it boggles my mid that people think those on food stamps or welfare have it easy: just ask, and the checks start coming in, every month.
But the point I made originally remains: having difficulty
obtaining benefits wasn't the criteria specified for being classified "mentally defective" [what a horrible description!], now was it? The specific criteria required difficulty in
managing benefits or finances [ie: money] which is an entirely different matter.
If one asks for help obtaining government benefits, there's no imputation of mental deficiency: it's tricksy. But if one asks for help managing their benefits [aka money], that's cause to question their mental acuity, absolutely.
You just need to remember that benefits = money, and it is understandable.
