Would you feel safe knowing there is an armed minor walking around campus and in public surroundings?
Allowing people younger than 21 to purchase firearms is the wrong decision, and thinking that they will only use it in reasonable situations is juvenile.
Being unaware of the intentions of minors who carry guns can be a serious threat to students and communities.
In the article titled “Children and Guns: The Hidden Toll,” The New York Times wrote of the 2012 death of Cassie Culpepper.
Culpepper, who was 11-years old at the time of her death, was with her 12-year-old brother when he began to play with his father’s gun. The article said he had been given the gun to scare off animals such as coyotes. Culpepper was accidentally shot and killed by her brother as he played with the gun.
According to The Washington Post, states such as Arizona, Vermont, Alaska and Wyoming allow concealed carry without any permit. Vermont, however, stands out from the list because it allows people as young as 16 to carry concealed weapons and purchase handguns without parental permission
So, a 16 year old from Vermont can’t legally go to an R-rated movie alone or join the military, but he or she can legally buy a handgun and carry it.
While the thought of someone handing a gun to someone under the age of 18 probably makes most people uncomfortable, there are minors living in California who own guns without a license. In some cases, these minors receive guns from adults who make the purchases for them.
According to the California Firearms Law Summary of 2016, published by oag.ca.gov, this practice is known as a straw purchase.
“A straw purchase is buying a firearm for someone who is prohibited by law from possessing one, or buying a firearm for someone who does not want his or her name associated with the transaction,” the summary said.
The summary suggests that a straw purchase can result in a 10 year felony charge and a fine no greater than $250,000.
According the CNN.com article, “A generation raised on gun violence sends a loud message to adults: Enough,” authors Emanuella Grinberg and Holly Yan wrote that thousands of students showed support during a nationwide school walkout on March 14.
Children and minors should not be given firearms at such a young age and shouldn’t be taught about violence. Lowering the age to purchase a firearm can increase the amount lives lost due to gun violence.
