I don't know how many times I've pointed out all of the ways that we trust 18 to 20-year-olds to do things that require a high level of responsibility. They can own a house, buy a car, drive it, vote, enlist in the military, sign legally binding contracts, get married, and a host of other things under the law. They're treated like adults just about everywhere, with a couple of notable exceptions.
One is the drinking age, which is stupid, and the other is gun rights.
While some states want to prohibit adults under 21 from even owning a firearm, the truth is that they can, and even though federal law prevents them from buying a handgun, they're permitted to own one should someone give it to them.
That means there's a reason some of these adults under 21 would want to carry a firearm on their own person. The issue is that a lot of states don't allow concealed carry until you're 21. Kentucky is one of those states, but they're trying to address it.
Unfortunately, the bill to do so is reportedly under scrutiny after a recent shooting, and this is beyond stupid.
A bill headed to Governor Beshear’s desk would lower Kentucky’s concealed carry age from 21 to 18, drawing mixed reactions even from those in the firearms industry.
House Bill 312 is under scrutiny following a triple shooting Wednesday evening that killed two people in the Algonquin neighborhood. Police say the murder suspect is a 13-year-old boy.
...“15-year-olds, 16-year-olds hang out with 18-year-olds all the time. They’re all in high school together. And they’ve got one — readily available. It just increases the access to kids,” Herndon said.
Herndon has been pushing for a separate measure he calls “Kids Over Guns,” urging the state to give Louisville more local control over gun laws. A metro council member worries that if the bill is signed into law, the city’s growing youth violence problem could grow.
Jarles said criminals don’t follow the law regardless of what it says.
“If they have malicious intent or criminal intent, they’re not concerned about whether or not they’re breaking the law by concealing the gun,” Jarles said.
Bingo.
Those 18-year-olds who are hanging out with 15- and 16-year-olds and who might allow those juveniles to handle their firearm and use it against another person are the very same people who are going to carry guns without a permit in the first place. Plus, if they're inclined to let those kids shoot someone while they're around, I'm going to guess that those 15- and 16-year-olds probably have access to guns illegally in the first place.
I mean, look up there and see that this "scrutiny" is after a 13-year-old allegedly shot and killed someone. The last time I checked, a 13-year-old wasn't an adult. The proposed law wouldn't have had an impact at all because, again, this is a child.
Sooner or later, people need to wake up to the harsh reality that the people who are the problem aren't the people impacted by laws.
Either that or they need to admit that it doesn't matter to them in the least. I'm not that picky; I just want an acknowledgement of reality.
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to lie about gun owners and the Second Amendment.
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