Rachel McClurg
Managing Editor
The Kansas House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill (HB) 2042 allowing 18-year-olds in Kansas to obtain a concealed carry permit after passing a concealed carry class.
I am for 18-year-olds being able to have a concealed carry because I feel that if we are old enough to go overseas and fight for our country, then we should have the right to protect ourselves, especially with the number of school shootings we have seen.
“They say an 18-year-old is too young to own a weapon of war, but we give 18-year-olds weapons and send them to war,” Public Figure Colion Noir said in a tweet.
Now, these 18-year-olds are not just going to walk around carrying AR-15’s (those are super hard to conceal) which by the way “AR” stands for ArmaLite rifle not “assault rifle” or “automatic rifle,”as most people believe.
I just do not feel comfortable relying on others to protect me. Just look how well that turned out for the students in Parkland, Florida. There were many signs ignored by those around the shooter including the FBI.
Also, if 18 to 20-year-olds are allowed to obtain concealed carry permits they could potentially carry on campus, which may be able to help reduce assaults on campus. A Utah lawmaker Rep. Karianne Lisonbee mentioned in an article by Deseret News Utah believes that young women should be able to have the right to protect themselves on campus with a concealed weapon.
Many opposed to this bring up the fact that 18-year-olds do not possess the same maturity level that 21-year-olds do. However, there are definitely some 21-year-olds that do not possess the maturity level needed to have a concealed carry. Likewise, there are 18-year-olds that would be just fine with one.
That’s why this topic is so difficult to discuss. There are so many factors that have to be taken into account when discussing the best thing to do.
Training young people to be able to safely handle a gun is never a bad thing in my opinion. It could help prevent the ungodly amount of mass shootings we’ve been around for.
Of course if the HB 2042 is put in place, 18-year-olds will be required to take a concealed carry class unlike 21-year-olds in Kansas. Alabama, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota all allow 18-year-olds to have a concealed carry.
Being 18 in Kansas means that we are adults. We are allowed to get married and vote so we should be allowed to protect ourselves as well.