Old enough to vote, old enough to fight…but forget about protecting yourself

That is the verdict that was rendered by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals last week.  The verdict states that the Federal Government can continue to ban the sale of handguns to 18-20 year olds.  A loophole does exist stating that a parent can gift such a weapon to their children.  And in open carry states that do not require a permit or constitutional carry states, that 18-20 year old can carry said weapon.

Let’s put aside that little loophole and I say loophole in the best possible way since I feel this ruling is completely unconstitutional.

Things you can do before you are 21:

• You can legally drive a 2 ton vehicle that can go over 100 miles per hour that statistically kills more people than firearms by a rate of 2 to 1.
• You can legally vote.  A vote which may elect politicians who send this country off to war, into a depression, who invalidate rights, who raise taxes and cripples the middle class.
• You can go off to war, where the Government is only too happy to put a gun in your hand to go and kill at their discretion.

But when you come home…well buddy, thanks for protecting the Country but don’t you even think about a handgun to protect yourself.

In it’s ruling the Court said that since the aforementioned loophole exists they do not have to apply “strict scrutiny” in regards to the matter and that a “eh, this works” ruling would suffice (note that “eh, this works” ruling is a rougher personal translation of “rational review”).

So instead of defending the enumerable rights of those who are otherwise given the rights of a citzen, the court decides to regurgitate the gun controls line that 18-20 year olds are too young, immature and prone to violence to purchase firearms.

The presiding judge, Edward Prado wrote in regards to the 1968 prohibition:

“Congress was focused on a particular problem: young persons under 21, who are immature and prone to violence, easily accessing handguns”.

I find it ironic that in 1968 things were really heating up in Vietnam and Congress didn’t have a problem given thousands upon thousands of 18-20 year olds weapons in order to go a killin’ in the foreign land.

Do I think 18-20 year olds always make the best decisions?  No.  But that doesn’t matter.

Either they are citizens or they’re not.  Congress and the courts shouldn’t be able to pick and choose which Constitutional right applies to whom and at what time.