should 18 year olds have ccw

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

here's a poll thats going on now what is your guys take on this

http://www.koco.com/index.html

[molonlabetn]

The question would have been better if asked: "Should 18 year olds be prohibited from carrying a weapon?"

If the people who answer the polls aren't simply mindless liberal robots, they'll have to rationalize whether age alone is the determining factor of a person's maturity... Sure, it's a rough indicator... but it's akin to asking whether "males" should be allowed to carry, (being the more aggressive sex)...

[Im Neero]

I'm OK with the legal drinking age and the legal gun carrying age being the same.

[ZenDog]

"ORA director Charles Smith said if people can vote and serve in the military at age 18 they should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon."

+1 on that- lower the HCP age to 18 or make the military/voting age 21.

[strickj]

I agree that it should all be the same age.Im fine with the age of 21 stuff so why not make voting and serving 21 also

[Guest TNDixieGirl]

lower the HCP age to 18 or make the military/voting age 21.

I Agree. Besides, I do know a few 21 yr olds that aren't near as mature as some 16 yr olds.

[The Rabbi]

I can't agree.

Military life is characterized by discipline and oversight. Civilian life isn't. If carry permit holders age 18-21 were forced to go through basic training then I might be inclined.

[molonlabetn]

Mandatory military service would fix that problem...

[The Rabbi]

Mandatory military service would fix that problem...

It would fix that problem. It would create others.

[saintsfanbrian]

Personal thought, military personnel should be allowed to get an HCP regardless of age. They have written that check up to and including their life.

They should also be allowed to drink (on base)

[Im Neero]

That's not a bad idea Brian.

[Guest db99wj]

Personal thought, military personnel should be allowed to get an HCP regardless of age. They have written that check up to and including their life.

They should also be allowed to drink (on base)

I agree with that, they deserve that for what they have done or are willing to do.

[molonlabetn]

It would fix that problem. It would create others.

No solution is absolute. But this policy works very well in many countries, and would conceivably bring many more benefits than disadvantages, especially in terms of addressing the worst social influences many youth face.

[The Rabbi]

No solution is absolute. But this policy works very well in many countries, and would conceivably bring many more benefits than disadvantages, especially in terms of addressing the worst social influences many youth face.

I am not aware of any countries where it works especially well.

And the cost to the military to feed, house, and train unwilling conscripts who will be gone in about 24 months is quite large. Plus the opportunity cost of having some very talented people unable to exercise their talents has to be factored.

I can understand the arguments in favor and they are tempting. But the downsides are considerable too.

[Fallguy]

"ORA director Charles Smith said if people can vote and serve in the military at age 18 they should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon."

+1 on that- lower the HCP age to 18 or make the military/voting age 21.

I agree

[Smith]

I think the government needs to make up their mind about what age constitutes and adult. 18 or 21. Either way I really don't care, however I would lean towards 21 for a variety of reasons. In the poll I voted yes, because of the military issue.

[Guest 2HOW]

WOW, a big no for most. Hell yeah, if they can die for their country they can carry a gun.

[molonlabetn]

I am not aware of any countries where it works especially well.

And the cost to the military to feed, house, and train unwilling conscripts who will be gone in about 24 months is quite large. Plus the opportunity cost of having some very talented people unable to exercise their talents has to be factored.

I can understand the arguments in favor and they are tempting. But the downsides are considerable too.

There are good examples and bad examples... Communist Russia was a bad one. Israel, Austria, and Switzerland are very good ones.

[creeky]

I have never served in the military... so I don't feel comfortable in

saying that we should have mandatory military service for all.

I would be speaking from only one side of the fence.

As far as 18 year olds and CCW...

I'd rather have military service & voting start at 21.

Drinking and HCP are fine with me at 21. If your currently

in the military at 18, I think you should be able to drink, and

have a HCP. The service to your country should be taken in to consideration.

*As a side note, I started paying attention to politics when I got

my selective service card in the wall saying I had thirty days

to register.

[The Rabbi]

There are good examples and bad examples... Communist Russia was a bad one. Israel, Austria, and Switzerland are very good ones.

I am not familiar with Austria but am somewhat with Germany. And its a joke. It's 18 months' service.

Switzerland is hard to compare to the US because the culture(s) is so different.

Israel I am very familiar with and it is a nightmare. Service is very polarizing as an issue. Also reserve duty lasts until you're like 50. Israel has a need for ready manpower since wars crop up all the time.

[Guest clownsdd]

"ORA director Charles Smith said if people can vote and serve in the military at age 18 they should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon."

+1 on that- lower the HCP age to 18 or make the military/voting age 21."

That was ok if the draft was still on and it was mandatory. It's volunteer now. There is a difference. Bring back the draft and I would agree.

[Guest Jamie]

No, I don't think anyone under 21 should be allowed to CCW.

Here's a PDF that explains why there's a very good biological reason for keeping the CCW/handgun ownership and drinking age at 21 :

Adolescence, Brain Development

and Legal Culpability

A quote from the above-articles says it all, for me:

“The evidence now is strong that the brain does not cease to mature until the early 20s in those relevant parts that govern impulsivity, judgment, planning for the future, foresight of consequences, and other characteristics that make people morally culpable…. Indeed, age 21 or 22 would be closer to the ‘biological’ age of maturity.â€

By the way... I do know more than a couple adults who seem to suffer from an... under-developed?... brain. I don't think they should be turned loose with guns, cars, or anything else dangerous, either.

[Guest jaypee]

Allowing 18 year olds to have HCP merely because they can also serve in the military at that age is more involved than it sounds, and is not a good idea to me. Having enlisted at 18 I can tell you that an 18 year old in military service is under constant scrutiny, supervision, regulation, regimentation, evaluation and training. Not so the 18 year old in civilian life. The Tennessee Handgun Carry Program is only an eight hour class and requires no preparatory training or followup evaluations. The young man shoots the required number of rounds, makes the required score, and he's now licensed to carry the most sophisticated and capable of handguns among us......without any supervision of any kind. Sorry, I can't buy it. I just know too many 18 year olds who are 18 and going on 15. Now if you want to say 18 plus meeting some other criteria to qualify him in addition to his age, then we can talk. Otherwise, no go.

JayPee

Edited March 7, 2008 by jaypee

[saintsfanbrian]

Jaypee-18 AND in the Military I don't have a problem giving an HCP to. Then again, I am also for doing away with HCP all together and that if you can legally purchase a firearm you should be allowed to carry when ever and where ever you wish as long as the owner of the property you are on doesn't have a problem with it.

[Guest canynracer]

I think their military ID should be their HCP...no ID, no carry. If you are 18 and you dont wanna wait till you are 21, join the military