On August 10, 2019, Sen. Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts proposed a new gun control plan which draws attention to stricter background checks, ban on assault weapons, limitations on the number of firearms owned, and raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21.
But what Sen. Warren is highly overlooking — in fact she doesn't even mention — is that if she plans on going through with raising the minimum age, this will result in Americans having the ability to enlist in the military to train and fight for our country with possession of a firearm, but will not even be able to buy one for their protection and themselves. The men and women who receive the most strategic knowledge and training for gun management and possession will not even be able to purchase a gun as their own property in civilian life.
At the age of 17, American citizens are eligible to enlist in the military (17-year-old applicants require parental consent). By week four of the average Army boot camp trainees are already introduced into marksmanship with an M16A2, the standard-issue weapon of the Army, where they learn much more than just holding and shooting a firearm.
Now, I understand multiple other countries have strict gun laws while still maintaining a military, but you can't bring other countries into consideration, it's not a simple one-to-one comparison.
Don't get me wrong, this country is in desperate need of a change in gun laws, but raising the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21 is NOT the answer to this problem.
According to the CDC, the second leading cause of death from ages 10 to 35 is suicide. The number one cause of death with the assist in suicide from ages 15 to 35 is by firearm.
But what I don't see is an equal call to action from people in power like Sen. Warren. Nobody is talking about making mandatory (like background checks) psychiatric screenings.
For someone to be able to walk into any building or any crowd and willingly shoot and kill people, they have to have severe amounts of psychological damage and despair. However, that isn't a statement that for every person that has a mental illness or struggles with mental health, is violent. Mental Health America does believe that those with a mental illness have a slightly higher risk of being violent than those without, especially if during an episode of psychosis or psychiatric hospitalization. However, they also believe that those affected by mental illness are more likely to be violent with themselves than to others.
Pushing or proposing for stronger mental health support and more in-depth analyses for potential gun owners is far more of a step closer to gun control than raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm.
