As Colorado continues to turn blue — from Californian expats, and not from the cold — we have situations like this one:
On Friday, Colorado House Democrats approved a measure, HB25-1133, which would raise the minimum age for purchasing rifle and shotgun ammunition to 21 years and require that ammunition be stored behind the counter at retailers that sell it.
The battle against young adults’ Second Amendment rights is extensive, with many states and even the federal government debating and enacting laws that restrict the right of 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds to keep and bear arms. For every other constitutionally protected right, Americans are nearly universally regarded as adults at 18 and afforded protection under the Constitution.
It’s really quite simple. If 18-year-olds are old enough to be drafted, sign a contract, get married (or get abortions) without parental consent, and vote: then they are entitled to full Second Amendment rights as the adults they are.
Oh by the way: as adults, they should be allowed to consume booze as well. Adult privilege, in terms of the law, is kinda like virginity. You either have it or you don’t.
And it’s long past time that we acknowledge that fact, under the law.
That said, if people think that 18-year-olds can do this, but not that, depending on the opinions and prejudices of politicians and moralists, then we should just go ahead and overturn the 26th Amendment and restore the age of majority (and the voting age) to 21 and have done with it. (Oh, and make the 18-20 age group ineligible for the draft and ban them from driving, while we’re there. Let’s at least be consistent.)
No?
Then the current age of majority should preclude any and all restrictions under the Equal Protection clause, no matter how popular or how we choose to address the topic of “immaturity”.
Fucking busybodies can all go to hell.
Many Democrats want to let kids change their gender. Kids as in people under 18 years of age.
At the same time many Democrats and RINO’s want the age to own and carry guns and to be able to buy ammo to be 21.
As the old saying goes “A right delayed is a right denied”
> At the same time many Democrats and RINO’s want the age to
> own and carry guns and to be able to buy ammo to be 21.
Most Democrats want *no one* to be able to carry guns (other than hunting, MAYBE). The whole age change is just part of that fight.
you’re absolutely right. You’re either an adult with all of the rights and responsibilities or you’re not. Since we’re using age as the determining factor, just pick a number.
Banning the possession of arms based on age is just another tactic by the hoplophobes to restrict our rights. Rational thought and critical thinking play no part in their alleged thought process.
I remember when I and my best friend were 18 (1973) we would buy .22 ammo for a pistol and rifle we owned. At the counter the clerk would ask whether the ammo was for a rifle or a pistol as the law stipulated you had to be 21 to buy it for a pistol. Of course we always said “rifle”. Then we went out and shot the ass off that pistol. LOL
The “LR” in 22LR stands for “long rifle”, right?
Amen! That a 16-year old can drive a 5000lb vehicle at 70+ mph, but can’t take a sip of alcohol nor shoot a gun is utter BS. (though never all at the same time).
Most people recognize that as children (allegedly) mature into adults they should be allowed different responsibilities and freedoms at different ages.
No one in their right mind lets a 4 year old walk 6 blocks to the store by themselves, but we used to let 6 year olds walk to school alone.
Gradually introducing increased rights and responsibilities is how we give them time to adapt and adjust to new roles in the community and in society.
It makes sense to allow children to start driving at a younger age than when they’re legally allowed to drink so that they get used to–and demonstrate responsibility–in one area before another.
The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain responsible for inhibiting action in other areas. It’s the one that says “Yeah, that would be awesome…ly stupid, no don’t do it”.
It’s that function that alcohol inhibits.
Y’all know that. It’s where we get the “hold my beer, watch this” from.
Frankly I’d be fine with raising the voting age and the draft age to 21, while leaving the age of enlistment at 18.
Not all responsibilities and not all freedoms should be granted at the same time.
All that said, this bill isn’t about that *really*. The current Colorado legislature is on a MASSIVE anti-gun run, they’re going to cost the state and the taxpayers millions in legal fees only to get spanked.
This is about harassing gun owners and attacking the culture of gun ownership throughout the rest of the state.
IIRC, the 26th Amendment was passed as a sop to those who shouted “Old enough to die for their country, but not old enough to vote.” They supported it, cynically knowing that few 18-20 year olds could be bothered to vote, and in any case, there weren’t enough of them to swing an election.
I’m still trying to figure out why 18-20 year old women were given the right to vote under the 26th Amendment. They weren’t the ones being drafted and sent to Vietnam.
And democrats floated the idea of lowering the voting age to 16 a while back. anything to get more votes, especially from more gullible voters.
The Supreme Court should be able to levy fines on the legislators who keep wasting their time coming up with new ways to try and restrict the rights of citizens. Not the legislature, each of the legislators who voted for these laws and the governors who sign them into law.
And, it’s just another damn law. It will be obeyed by those who are NOT a threat and ignored by those who are ALREADY the problem !
Bottom line – it will accomplish absolutely NOTHING of any value.
But the politicians will be able to crow to their constituents that they are ‘doing something’ , even if what they are ‘doing’ accomplishes NOTHING except maybe another loop of rope around OUR throats which is their REAL goal !