imported post
You may be right that it takes two different types of responsibilities for both cars and guns. I suppose one may possess one and not the other and vice versa. In any case, they both require substantial responsibility and could have lethal consequences for misjudgements. The attainment of bothtypes ofresponsibility should be determined by the parents in my opinion.
Maybe when you were 16 you were a rebellious youth with no sense, but I'm 18 andI remember being 16 very well. I wasreally nodifferent then than I am now.I don't remember being 12 much but I was much different when I was 12 and I cannot say whether or not I could have handled it then.
I suppose a legitimate question could be whether I have any sense even now, but regardless, the law says I do because magically all 18 year olds do.
The only thing that made me a kid when I was 16 and an adult now is abstract law. In states where you have to be 21, I would still be treated like a kid in that respect, and your right as heck I'd want to still have my rights. So yes, if 16-21 year olds are kids, I support the rights of kids to have and carry guns.
I've vary rarely been in arguments with my parents over the last four years, who I still live with. I'vebeen takingclasses for college credit in HighSchool for the lastfour years too.Differnet people are different. That's why parents should be able to decide and not the government.
The only argument Iseeagainst them deciding is if the parents are not wise enough to make good judgements.I'd really rather the government just stay of our lives as much as possible.A mother and father are a better judge of their childs judgement than a blanket statement by the government. If a parent does not think their twelve year old should have guns, they shouldn't let them have guns. Ultimately, parents are held responsible for their childrens actions.Thus I doubt many 12 year olds would be armed. Bad parenting does exist, and unfortunately is on the rise, but I'd still rather leave it to the parents. In the 1800's and early 1900's, it may not have even been so big of a deal [like the old pictures of kids with their pump-action .22s?], but not having lived during either period of time I cannot confirm this. I think the reason is that parenting was better back then, and parents forced their children to understand the implications of their actions at a much earlier age.
In Nevada, minors aged 14 and up can "possess/own" a rifle at their house with permissionfrom their parents. It must be in theresidence unloaded (but a loaded magazine could be kept near by as long as it is not insertedexcept in the need for "immediatedefense" which is mentioned in law)and cannot leave theresidence with the minorunless accompanied by a parent. I've had a rifle under these legal conditions since about the time I was 14. I have not done anything with it I would consider stupid, but I also have not been thrown in trashcans. This isn't the same as carrying it in public but still requires responsibility.
I wasn't even that bright when I was 18 and I made some stupid choices. I bet if you really think about it, you probably did to.
You are right that I have done dumb things, and I anticipate that I will make dumb decisions for the rest of my life. I do feel that I am just as trustable with arms as anyone else though.