Raising the Age to 21 to Purchase Guns, Why Should You Care? - Video

USA – -(Ammoland.com)- We have all heard the false argument that we don’t need an AR-15 to hunt deer. You don’t have to be a Constitutional Scholar to know that the purpose of the 2nd Amendment was not to protect hunting. Normally, I would argue that we should be more forceful and honest about the purpose of our right to “keep and bear arms.” However, there is good reason to take a different tact on the issue of age restrictions. Future generations will find it hard to care about protecting an instrument they don’t understand.

In recent weeks several states have managed to pass increased age restrictions on purchasing guns and ammo. Illinois even went so far as to confiscate most semi auto long guns and handguns from those under 21. Don’t be fooled, the Left is expert at long term political strategy. This is a game of attrition.

There is much to fear if gun ownership is not a reality for an adult in the formative years between 18 and 21.

Hunting participation is down significantly. In 2016 the US Fish & Wildlife Service revealed that hunter numbers declined by 2 million participants since 2011, a 14.8% decrease. The more telling and problematic figure is that hunting expenditures dropped 29% from $36.3 billion to $25.6 billion in the same 5-year period. In other words, hunters are less involved with the sport, spending less on themselves and those they take with them – the next generation.

Many of us remember the anticipation and excitement as youth of toting our own long gun afield. Even more exciting was the day we saved up enough money to purchase our own bang stick. After all, despite what we tell our spouses, half the fun in hunting is buying cool new toys that we “need.”

My old man grew up in a small logging town in the Northwest. He loves to recite the story of his first gun purchase. At 12 years old he asked his mother to write him a permission slip so he could purchase a rifle at the local shop. With permission in hand he rode his bicycle down the street to pick out a surplus rifle. This was the 1950’s and WWI-WWII era Springfield 1903s were easy to come by. A 12 year old purchased a literal “weapon of war” – I hope the Left doesn’t mind me borrowing their spin-doctor. He strapped it to his handlebars and peddled home. I’m sure a sizeable population of critters fell to that rifle.

I doubt my father would have purchased such a thing if he didn’t have the prospect of chasing down a Blacktail or a Mule Deer with it. Hunting is an adventurous, exciting, instructive, tough, and character building exercise. Without the allure of hunting his money likely would’ve gone to something considerably more dangerous at the time, the latest rock-n-roll record.

I have had the opportunity to convert many non-hunters into diehard sportsmen, including my wife and kids. Although I’ve had a few successes with older folks, it is far easier to get a young person to develop a passion for it. Hunting is an all or nothing proposition. Either it gets in your soul or you won’t do it at all.

The anti-gunners might convince a target shooter or casual gun owner that there’s something scary about a particular gun or caliber. Those with a passion for hunting already understand what it means to “need” a particular gun. They’re not going to fall for recent arguments that the AR-15’s projectile speed of 3000 fps poses a particular danger. Hunters understand the many issues that could arise from waiting periods and a limit on how many guns could be purchased at once. Hunters are not a homogenous group; many of them are blue-collar democrats. Thanks to hunting, even these democrats are less likely to be persuaded by deceitful anti-gun arguments. We must recruit and retain others to share in that deeper understanding and commitment.

If an 18 year old starting his career in the trades, or heading off to college, cannot purchase a rifle or shotgun to tote with him on the journey, I fear the next generation will rapidly lose their interest. In the end this will result in the annihilation of the 2nd Amendment for current and future generations. We must bring our hunter numbers up. Other shooting sports won’t be enough to stop the hemorrhaging and keep our rights intact. If each of you introduced just one new person every couple years our numbers would sky rocket.

Clark Ramsey

Think about yourself at 18 through 21. You had dozens of competing interest. Among the clamor of choosing a school and a profession, dating, work, and parties did you miss some hunting seasons? How many more would you have missed if you weren’t allowed to have a gun?

I would submit to you that keeping the age at 18 to purchase all long guns is one of the good fights we should be engaged in.

About the Author Clark Ramsey

Clark Ramsey is the host of “The Ramsey Revival” on YouTube. He is a former Infantry Marine and a service-connected disabled veteran. Clark holds a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law and a Bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness. He has thousands of hours in a variety of shooting related disciplines from hunting to tactical fieldwork. If he could, he’d spend all of his time hunting and fishing with his wife and three kids.

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