On January 30th, federal courts decided to strike down the ban on handgun sales to teens. Before, people below the age of 21 could not purchase handguns legally. Judge Edith H. Jones, who is part of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, concluded that the Constitution “Includes 18- to 20-year-old individuals among ‘the people’ whose right to keep and bear arms is protected.”
Since the Second Amendment was written 234 years ago, the way people live in society now versus then has changed a lot; for example, the way of thinking, living, and communicating is different from the 1700s. We should take the Constitution, interpret it, and integrate it into our laws in a way that makes sense today.
As a matter of fact, in 2022, 19 children and 12 adults died at the hands of two 18-year-olds armed with military-style rifles in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas. After this incident, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would have banned licensed gun dealers from selling any firearms to teenagers. Still, the Senate rejected it, meaning they could not pass the law to protect American citizens. And now, Congress is instead passing a bill legally allowing 18-20-year-olds to purchase these guns! Many more children and adults could die at the hands of gun violence because this bill is allowing a broader and younger range of people to get their hands on guns.
Handguns have been the most commonly used weapons in murders and mass shootings for decades in the United States, according to government data analyzed by The Violence Project. Therefore, if you give more people access to guns, it will only increase the risk of violence and mass shootings. The landmark gun control regulation had been in place since 1968 before it was struck down in January, and still, hundreds of mass shootings have been taking place each year – in fact, according to CNN, there were 500 in 2024 alone. Think of what could happen now.
Unfortunately, many people are pleased about this bill’s passing. The president of the Firearms Policy Coalition, a gun rights group that sued to overturn the age limit, praised Thursday’s ruling, calling it a “win against an immoral and unconstitutional age-based gun ban.” Some might say that eighteen to 21-year-olds have all the same rights and responsibilities as any other adult, and it’s not fair to single out and deprive them of one right. However, a study from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that people aged 18-20 are far more likely to commit violent crimes than those older than them. The U.S. Department of Justice found that the most common age at which people commit homicides is 18.
As there are mixed opinions about this bill passing, we can do little about it right now. This shows that unless the court’s opinion changes, there’s not much the public can do. But I urge you to think about this ban, as this can be tied to your life and affect your future. This is a critical issue in our world. In the end, different people have different opinions, so think to yourself, are you for the ban or against it?
This is an editorial piece, with the opinion of the writer and not a reflection on the paper.
Sources:
- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/us/appeals-court-strikes-down-ban-handguns-teenagers.html
- https://abcnews.go.com/US/federal-appeals-court-strikes-ban-handgun-sales-teens/story?id=118292605
- https://www.cnn.com/us/mass-shootings-fast-facts/index.html
- https://thebishopstower.com/3806/opinion/guns-are-not-safe-to-be-in-an-18-year-olds-hands/#:~:text=The%20answer%20is%20that%20we,people%20commit%20homicides%20is%2018.
