Age Restrictions for Gun Ownership?

[xd9fan]

opps

 

[GRIZ22]

Ohio Rifleman, I haven't changed my position as perviously stated but I wouldn't direct people to that asfar.org. A lot of what they say might lose you a lot of supporters. What criteria would a six year old use to vote? Totally removing ages for sexual consent? Letting an 8 year old drive? That's mostly pretty wacky stuff.

Tactical Ninja, I knew that you have to be 35 to run for president. I didn't pick that age out of thin air. Your knowledge of that shows you're more responsible and aware of what's going on. There are a lot of people in their 40s and 50s that don't know that.

 

[jnojr]

I do think there should be higher age limits for some things

Why?

Why should the government get to arbitrarily decide when someone can drink, buy a gun, etc.?

How can you claim someone is an "adult", but then deny them certain rights or privileges until they become a "super-adult"?

There's no way to handle this on a case-by-case basis, like with a "maturity test". We, as a society, need to pick one age to be the age of majority, and then that's it... no funny exceptions. If someone can be legally kept from drinking or buying a gun because they aren't "mature" enough, then how can they be "mature" enough to drive, vote, join the military, sign a contract, be held accountable for their own actions in a criminal court, etc?

 

[Builder]

Interesting...

It is somewhat of a double standard…Some research has tried to prove that the teenage brain is not fully hardwired:
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040508/bob9.asp

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1424747.htm

http://www.hotqa.com/toddler-preschooler/1171-1-dmt123.html

I do know that in talking regularly to my 16 year old that I see a continually growing person in that her thought processes are still very much gelling together…What I observe in her friends and her is a process that is quite different than adults in similar social situations…When it is just the girls they operate entirely differently then when they are in mixed company…The same can be said about adults, however with teens there is a definite lack of maturity in both same sex and mixed sex groups, when they are interacting…

She is dating an 18 year old right now that is graduating in the spring, I have had many conversations with him…He is a fairly smart kid but is really naïve about things…There will, I suspect be a lot of growing once he is out of the high school environment…Public schools seem to have a dumbing down effect on kids today…

When kids are in the right environment and are placed in positions that require them to really think things out I see that many of her friends will come to the right decision on their own…But there is another factor and that is what I mentioned above…

Being in same sex and mixed company many will not come to the right conclusions simply because of the various nature of peer pressure, social norms and what each of them think is expected of them…

The military likes them young, fresh out of school for a reason; They can be molded and shaped and honed into a soldier easier than an adult that has had the benefit of seeing how the world really is…Obviously each kid is different in how quickly they “come along” in the development process…But if we are going to ask them to fight and possibly die for our country then we certainly should not deny them full adult rights…

 

[Wes Janson]

My proposal would be that, beginning at some minimum age, anyone may embark on the process of earning fully vested status as a citizen, after which they may consumate contracts, gamble, drink, carry weapons in public, vote, and all the other activities reserved to adults, with the understanding that personal responsibility -- as an adult -- is part of the deal.

Age, in and of itself, is not any measure of maturity.

Maturity is what's required.

Some of the best thoughts on the subject I've ever seen. The trick would be in figuring out an effective test battery to measure maturity.

The flip side of this, though, is thus: if someone under the age of 21 has to earn their rights, why does the person at age 21 suddenly recieve them for free? If we are to say that a man or woman must prove they possess responsibility, then logic dictates that ALL adults must be assumed immature until proven. You yourself pointed it out: age is not a measure of maturity, so why should anyone recieve those rights regardless of how old they may be? I will not necessarily disagree with the spirit of that thought, but I will point out that it does tend to be unconstitutional (then again, it could be argued quite strongly that our current laws are as well).

(I did a "straw purchase" before we were married I bought her a handgun she wanted).

The definition aside (Did she pay for it, or you?), if you're going to commit a federal felony, for the love of Gord don't go blurting it out onto a public message board. That, to me, is a sign of immaturity-not necessarily the act itself, but the lack of discretion.

 

[Satch]

Age

Well i went hunting on the farm in the late 40's with the shotgun my dad got me for Christmas when I was 12. Sometimes age is reletive.

 

[GRIZ22]

jnojr, you should work as an editor for Michael Moore with your ability to quote out of context. I agreed age 18 for drinking, buying guns, and voting.

I don't think a 18 year old should be able to run for president. That would require an amendment to the Constitution.

 

[Derby FALs]

I am still amazed how dumb a man can grow between 18 and 50.

 

[Erinyes]

The age of majority in the U.S. is 18. As far as I'm concerned, that should be the legal age limit for just about everything.

 

[bigun15]

What I think is that there is no magical number (16/drive, 18/adult, 21/drink) for anything. Not any of those I just mentioned or others. It really depends all on the individual. I am 16 and I would have absolutely no problem owning a gun. The problem is that the law can't say "you can do this and this but you can't." They have to draw the line somewhere. While I don't agree with it, I understand it. Only a year and a half to go.

This is why I think that minors should be able to own guns if X number of adults with no criminal background say they're in good enough condition to own it.

 

[mike101]

Derby FALs

Ain't it the truth ?

 

[scout26]

My proposal would be that, beginning at some minimum age, anyone may embark on the process of earning fully vested status as a citizen, after which they may consumate contracts, gamble, drink, carry weapons in public, vote, and all the other activities reserved to adults, with the understanding that personal responsibility -- as an adult -- is part of the deal.

Age, in and of itself, is not any measure of maturity.

Maturity is what's required.

Some of the best thoughts on the subject I've ever seen. The trick would be in figuring out an effective test battery to measure maturity.

I tend to agree with what RAH wrote in Starship Troopers. Most people (yours truly included) really *growup* after completing Basic Combat Training from one of the military services.

 

[Joe Demko]

I tend to agree with what RAH wrote in Starship Troopers. Most people (yours truly included) really *growup* after completing Basic Combat Training from one of the military services.

I don't recall basic training as something that speeds the maturation process.

 

[Lonestar]

I don't recall basic training as something that speeds the maturation process.

Maybe full military service and not just basic. Joe if you haven't served in the armed services, you would be suprised how may immature and Naive kids go in and how many matured adults come out. I rank military service up there with having a child as something that make you grow up FAST.

Still some out there will be immature idiots their whole lives regardless what life puts in front of them.