Dr. Drew Weston of Emory University believes we should ban the sale of firearms to all adults under the age of 25.
A clinical, personality, and political psychologist, Weston argues that his ageist take on gun ownership is justified because the brain doesn’t fully mature until one is in one’s mid-20s.
“There are developmental reasons people in their late teens and early 20s, especially males, are particularly likely to engage in gun violence and other dangerous acts (like my reckless driving),” writes Weston in a perspective piece published by The Washington Post.
“A crucial factor is that the frontal lobes — which help us think through our actions — do not fully mature until roughly age 25,” he continued. “There is, moreover, another brain-development issue relevant to mass shootings in particular: The teens and early 20s are a crucial window for the onset of severe mental illness, particularly psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. That window begins to close around age 25.”
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Dr. Weston notes that although people between the ages of 14 and 24 make up just over 16 percent of the population, they are responsible for half the murders in America.
Okay. Let’s grant that Dr. Weston is right about the brain and about the fact that young people are responsible for a disproportionate amount of gun violence in the United States.
Still, there is a major problem with this policy recommendation: it is a unidimensional way of analyzing a problem that cuts across a variety of categories.
Put quite simply, age isn’t the only category by which we can analyze gun violence to justify arbitrary recommendations that seemingly tackle the issue.
Let’s consider gender. A global study on homicide by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, published in 2013, found that men committed 96 percent of all homicides worldwide. Given the male propensity for violence, why not ban gun sales to all men?
No, of course not. Because it’s sexist.
Or, let’s examine race. Black Americans make up 13 percent of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, between 1980 and 2008, black offenders committed 52 percent of homicides in the country. Should we ban the sale of firearms to African Americans?
No, of course not. Because it’s racist.
Fundamentally, one’s race, or gender, or age isn’t the underlying reason a person commits murder, or rape, or any other violent crime.
Most people commit acts of violence because they’re mentally ill, addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, involved in criminal enterprises — all reasons that would prohibit them from purchasing a gun lawfully in the first place.
With respect to Dr. Weston, crafting overly broad measures to deny certain classes of citizens fundamental rights is infringement.
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The truth is we already have enough laws on the books to keep guns out of the wrong hands. If anything, we need to ramp up the enforcement of these laws.
Of course, doing a better job of keeping kids off of drugs and away from gangs would also go a long way to reducing gun violence. So, too, would getting those suffering from mental illness the help that they need (to his credit, something Dr. Weston acknowledged).
All of that is common sense. But all of that is continually ignored by progressive academics, politicians, celebrities, and journalists because it doesn’t accomplish the true purpose of any gun control proposal: disarming law-abiding citizens.
No gun sales to Libs might achieve his goal.
Although I don’t agree on the recommended age restriction he was right about the brain maturity.
This has been understood for decades.
It’s exactly why WW2 combat aircrews were so young.
As an example P-47 pilots were generally considered by the military to be too old for the job after age 23.
The P-47 was used in a lot of ground attack missions. That meant they routinely flew at very low altitudes, nearly face to face with the enemy and having to pass through virtual walls of anti-aircraft ordinance to reach their targets.
The commanders soon realized the older the pilots the less they were willing to take the extreme risks necessary to be effective.
Why? Because a mature brain has a more developed sense of mortality. A 20 y/o thinks he’s gonna live forever.
Just an example of one difference between pre 25 and post 25 thought patterns and there are many.
However, no way I’m gonna expect kids to swear an oath and go into combat only to come home and be denied free will and fundamental rights.
Who cares what a liberal arts academic thinks? What’s next, we ask art teachers about nuclear proliferation and carbon footprints? These are liberal arts degrees designed to keep them busy stroking their egos, not contributing to society. They are zeroes and would best be used walking in front of our troops looking for IEDs.
He is guilty of projection by imprinting his own personality on the diagnosis. He is saying HE is irresponsible and incapable of mature behavior. He never spoke to me, how could he possibly know what I am thinking? That is malpractice from a tiny mind with delusions of grandeur. Suspend his license.
Well prof, my parents taught me responsible and safe gun handling at 10. And I somehow didn’t grow up to murder people. It is all about who you are in the head…not how old you are.
I agree with those posting , suggesting we raise voting age to
one score & five . I’d also add military service , alcohol consumption,
driving , marriage , child rearing , tobacco use , payment of taxes ,
home ownership , serving upon a jury , concealed carry , & etc .
In fact , no one is an adult until twenty-five .
Whatta ‘ya think ?
Sounds pretty damned stupid , right ?
CONSISTANCY , damn it !!!!! All or none !
If it is true, that the frontal lobes of the human brain, are not fully developed until the age of 25. then, Dr. Weston, what happened to yours ? BY the way, you need to return your degree, immediately, because your frontal lobes, are NOT FULLY DEVELOPED, YET !
Under the Professors reasoning, No one under the age of 25 should be allowed to vote, join the military, drive a car, buy a house, have a child, get married, work in any field, that requires a security clearance, sign, any kind a legal document, buy, or drink alcohol. buy, or use type of drug, without a prescription, or, anything else, in life, that requires you to have a fully developed brain, because, you are a threat to society ! Have I got this right, Professor SFB ?
White people have been making racist and sexist decisions for what, hundreds of years? But now that’s bad because it hurts you?
Let’s stop selling guns to white people. Problem solved.
As if black, brown, red, and yellow people haven’t been making racist and sexist decisions for thousands of years, let alone hundreds.
Racism and sexism isn’t limited to only whites. Learn some history, please.
Perhaps the OP is a Common Core history student! Or 1619?
25?
Sure, why not?
Then, forestall; voting, Military Service, tobacco, alcohol, marriage, sexual consent and driving to 25 as well.
This tiered *adulthood* nonsense in America is astoundingly ridiculous and – on the parts of the bureaucrats – self-servingly hypocritical
Todd.
The professor, in his little world of academia, is only analyzing statistics to offer up his “solution”. But I think the root of the problem is poor parenting, combined with poor education, after mental health is ruled out. If the parents do not care, the child will grow up the same way.
Let’s see, kids can be on their parents insurance until 26 and now this prof. wants to raise the age to buy a gun to 25. Maybe we should raise the age to vote to 26 also since these youngsters aren’t fully developed until then. Or serve in the military for that matter. Of course you would need a draft to get people settled in their lives to joint the military by then.
my grand father went to fight for the kingdom of italy in the first world war in 1915 when he was 16 years old ( being born in 1899)… in Vietnam the average age was 19… the governments ( small caps intended) do not seem to have a problem with yuuts ( my cousin vinnie reference) using firearms before the age of 25… i say this shrink is a bad sell out dude…
Ain’t you the rocket scientist……they will get them the same way 12 yr olds and up have been getting them…..which of course is legally since you braniacs can’t figure out that bad people don’t obey laws.
Ageism. And I thought I was the one who was sort-of CRT/I adjacent. Appealing to an -ism almost feels out of place in a pro-gun argument. Maybe we can limit the types of firearms available to those below 25? A precedent already exists, where the age limit on long arms is 18 and 21 for handguns. Maybe raise the regular long arms to 21 and set the age for handguns and assault weapons/MSRs/weapons of war at 25.
(…and pronouns almost feel out of place on this thread.) Hey, why don’t we change the voting age to 25 as well? And since judgement is such and issue, we should also prevent anyone under 25 from joining the military. Clearly you woke up, now wake up.
You’re a real genius Blue Dog
If you want to raise the age for what you call assault weapons to 25 then we need to raise the age of serving in the military to 25. Last I checked murder was illegal in every state at any age. Enforce the laws and keep the criminals off the streets, not the guns. You’re a fruit cake.
Hypocrite much lefty fool? There is a reason hell exists.
Does Hell really exist, though?
What is a “regular long arm”? What is the difference between a Remington 7600 and a Remington R15?
The only “weapons of war” I own are an Eddystone Pattern 1917, an Ishapore 2A, a Russian SKS, and a Chinese SKS. These are military surplus rifles that were actually issued by governments to their service members for use in war. I don’t know of any government in the world that issues a semiautomatic only AR15 to its troops as a primary battle rifle.
What is the difference between a 7600 and an R15? One is a pump. ;P The 7615 was a kind of neat idea, it is a shame it was a poodle shooter (to quote Col. Cooper) of a .223.
I am guessing you mean something in the 740 family. The 7400 is a hunting arm and the R15 was a disaster and a failed attempt at a money grab by a gun company who had lost their way, so I guess it was a lot like a 742.
The good folks that comment on this blog keep saying that AR15s are not weapons of war and M16s are. How different are AR15s and M16s? Four internal parts? Maybe drill a hole? Close enough for me. When was the last time some yokel tried to cheap out and build a 742 out of the cheapest parts he could find online? At least when a 742 fails to cycle, it is Remington’s fault and not the fault of the hillbilly shooting it. I can’t remember anyone ever asking me what kind of model glue is best for putting a 7400 action back together. Are there chainsaw bayonets out there for the 7400? Or bump stocks or pistol braces? The 7400 has an action that is easier to work on than other semi-auto hunting rifles, BARs [civilian], Winchester 88s, Ruger 44 Carbines, Marlin Camp Rifles, what have you, but still does not match the modularity of an AR pattern rifle.
Not to mention the aesthetics. Remington 7600s are… well, they aren’t eyesores. Most MSRs are artless tinker toys.