Demographics and RKBA

[scoutsabout]

To the OP:

Your poll has a fundamental flaw in it, with the age disparity based on gender. The Supreme Court held in Craig v. Boren (429 U.S. 190) that gender is a suspect class, and that laws differentiating a suspect class inherently violate the Equal Protections clause of the Constitution.

Personally, I voted for dropping the age to 18, as should be the drinking age. When you establish the age of majority for legal/criminal matters, you are establishing what is an adult. An adult is an adult. Period.

Finally, unless I am mistaken, 21 is not an across the board age for CCW/CHL/Concealed Carry. In Missouri, for example, the age is 23.

I just threw the gender-specific choices in there to spice things up. I agree that any gender-specific legislation would be discriminatory. We've done it with race (Equal Opportunity), so I just wanted to see how it might affect this discussion. No one would argue that women are generally at a disadvantage physically, so I thought it might follow that they should be given "Equal Opportunity" with regard to defensive firearms.

ie: if a less-qualified ethnic minority can get a job, over the more qualified non-minority, because the minority is percieved to be at a disadvantage... then why can't the "weaker" sex carry a gun at an earlier age? I was just thinking that maybe, after we lower the age to 18, we could make a gender-exception for women and qualify them at 16. That would invariably cut down our rape statistics. Besides, 16 year old girls are less likely to turn an argument into a gun fight, as might 16 year old boys be more disposed to doing.

I saw some great footage from one of Massad Ayoob's classes, where he talked about disperity of force as it relates to women. He stated, for example, that legal precedent would tend to protect the use of a firearm by a 200-pound female body builder against a 120-pound unarmed male attacker. He also defended the use of deadly force against a rapist, and gave credence to the logic and legal precedent behind it.

Anyway, this discussion is still primarily about age.

 

[dbltp]

Well I think some people are missing a pretty important fact about the biological differences between a 16 or 18 yo and a 21 yo. Especially when it comes to the development of the frontal lobes of the brain.

There is a reason that younger (usually men) people seem to have a lack of impulse control and tend to not think about their actions. Its because the frontal areas of the brain are the last to develop and this is where all the higher order "considering the consequences of my actions" thinking takes place.

It is kind of ironic/coincidental that the OP points out women being able to ccw before men. Women tend to develop the impulse control (that is often synonymous with maturity) earlier than men and on that basis may be more able to handle the responsibility of carrying a gun at an earlier age.

So that is (in very brief detail) my argument for leaving the CCW age right where it is. At 21 most all brain development is done and the person at least has the full capacity to make thoughtful decisions about the consequences of their actions, whether or not they choose to make use of it.

 

[sherman123]

I don't even believe a permit should be required for ccw. I wouldn't want any set age limit for ccw. In fact, I probably would have carried daily since I was about 16, if it were an option.

 

[shockwave]

In Texas it is 21 with the exception of active duty military can carry at 18. I agree with the Texas law here

.
Agreed. Also, CCW is a specific activity that has to be viewed on its own. Alcohol, driving, marriage, other privileges do not affect the rationale for regulating CCW. Also spurious is the idea that "some" 18 year olds are mature enough for CCW. The law seeks to strike a balance and can't discriminate on that basis. The laws regarding firearms should, ideally IMO, be at least as restrictive as those concerning driving. Training, a safety course, demonstration of proficiency are all reasonable requirements prior to the issuance of a CCW permit.

 

[wishin]

There is a reason that younger (usually men) people seem to have a lack of impulse control and tend to not think about their actions. Its because the frontal areas of the brain are the last to develop and this is where all the higher order "considering the consequences of my actions" thinking takes place

I know for a fact that at 18 years old I was not as mature as I should have been. I was in the Army, which helped me to grow up, but did some stupid, immature things. If we're all honest with ourselves, few of us had reached full maturity at that age. I say leave it as it is.