US Rep Pushes Bill to Lower Age for Some Gun Purchases
A U.S. Representative from Kentucky just proposed a bill that would allow citizens ages 18-20 to purchase a handgun from a licensed firearm distributor, as opposed to the current requirement that states gun buyers must be 21 years of age in order to purchase a handgun.
Rep. Thomas Massie announced Thursday the creation of the Second Amendment for Every Registrable Voter Act, or the SAFER Voter Act.
I just introduced the Second Amendment for Every Registrable Voter Act. HR 5112, The SAFER Voter Act, would repeal the federal law that prevents voting age adults, 18 to 20, from purchasing a handgun from a FFL.
Why should a 20-yr-old mom be denied the right to defend herself? pic.twitter.com/bjXaznxrFQ
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 1, 2018
In Massie’s words, the bill “would repeal the federal law that prevents voting-age adults, 18 to 20, from purchasing a handgun from a FFL (Federal Firearms Licensee).”
“Why should a 20-yr-old mom be denied the right to defend herself?” he added.
As the federal law currently stands, U.S. citizens ages 18-20 can only purchase a rifle or shotgun from an FFL.
However, in order to purchase a handgun — the weapon of choice for concealed carry — a person must be at least 21 years old, a statute Massie takes issue with.
During a recent appearance on Fox Business, the Northern Kentucky representative staked his claim for why keeping the legal age to own a handgun at 21 is nonsensical.
“Think about this, if you raise the age to buy a handgun and a long gun, the handgun’s already at 21, then you’ve completely extinguished the right to keep and bear arms for a 20-year-old mother,” he stated.
During the interview, Massie touched on another proposal of his, the Safe Schools Act.
If the bill were signed into law, it would allow teachers to arm themselves while on school campuses.
“It would repeal the Gun-Free Zone Act of 1990 which has done nothing but make our school children less safe,” Massie stated. “Ninety-eight percent of mass public shootings happen in a gun-free zone. Don’t we want our children in the two percent safe area instead of the 98 percent vulnerable area?”
The 98 percent figure stated by Massie is one that was also used by President Donald Trump when he called for teachers to be armed following the February school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
During a bipartisan meeting on Wednesday, Trump stated that 98 percent of mass shootings in the U.S. since 1950 have taken place inside of gun-free zones.
As reported by The Western Journal, this figure comes from a Crime Prevention Research Center study that used data from 1950 through July 10, 2016, showing that 98.4 percent of mass shootings have occurred in areas where guns are banned.
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