Constitutional carry for 18 to 21 year olds.

[captain awesome]

Would you also deny veterans the GI Bill to get a college degree? Would you close Veteran's Hospitals? Nations have long awarded special privileges to their soldiers. This goes back thousand of years to Rome and Greece.

Key word being "RIGHTS" my friend. And as you stated those are "privileges".
Big difference, and no I would not dream of denying them that.

 

[Ryanxia]

So to sum up, 18-20 year old Mainers can already carry a gun, that's not in question. The purpose of the Bill is to allow them to put a jacket on without becoming a criminal. Doesn't change who can buy a gun, who can carry a gun, or the age of carrying a gun. Just to say that a person already possessing and carrying a gun can put additional clothing on. Pretty basic stuff if you ask me.

 

[entropy]

I'm having mixed feelings on this one.

A Maine state rep (libertarian oriented Republican) is trying to drum up support for a bill that would expand constitutional carry to 18 year olds.

Note that the recently passed constitutional carry bill, all ready allows <21 year olds who are active duty military, or vets to carry without a permit.

I'm not sure how one becomes a <21 year old vet, as 2 year enlistments went away ages ago. So unless you got and admin. sep. you'll be at least 22 when discharged.

Medical discharge, for one. A young man I know is 19 and a (non combat) wounded vet. Training accident. They had 3 year gigs when I went in ('86, OK-that was ages ago), when did that stop?

Should we assign veterans more free speech? More Fourth Amendment rights? Maybe Sixth Amendment - only a jury of other veterans?

I always liked Heinlein's idea (Starship Troopers) of only Veterans being able to vote or hold office.

 

[entropy]

Duplicate.

 

[SSN Vet]

as a point of background...

Before Maine went Constitutional Carry, the CCW permit (we call it a pistol permint) required a class, unless you could document that you were trained in the use of firearms in the military. I had a DD214 with a Pistol Expert medal listed on it, and that did the trick for me.

So there is some precedent to assuming that someone who served in the armed forces has the basic knowledge to be safe with a firearm.

One thing that rubs me, is that people don't realize that the days of dishonorable discharges or even the "Big Chicken Dinner" are mostly long gone. Even convicted criminals most often get OTH discharges or admin. discharges, as the branches don't want to waste time and resources fighting these matters in a courts martial.

 

[.308 Norma]

One thing that rubs me, is that people don't realize that the days of dishonorable discharges or even the "Big Chicken Dinner" are mostly long gone.

What's a "Big Chicken Dinner" SSN Vet? Just curious.

 

[SSN Vet]

In the Navy, a "Big Chicken Dinner" is a Bad Conduct Discharge.

Bad, but not quite as bad as a dishonorable discharge, which almost no one gets, unless court marshalled for a felony level offense.

 

[Wisco]

In the Army it was Bad Chicken Dinner

 

[.308 Norma]

In the Navy, a "Big Chicken Dinner" is a Bad Conduct Discharge.

Bad, but not quite as bad as a dishonorable discharge, which almost no one gets, unless court marshalled for a felony level offense.

Thanks!

 

[psyopspec]

"...You're either an adult or you're not..." Exactly.
"...18 y/o are not allowed to drink..." Depends on where you are. The age of majority is the key. And Maine says it's 18. Mind you, the U.S. is one of 4 countries on this planet with a Federal drinking age of 21. Democrats and the MADD lobbyists.

It sounds like you're under the impression that the drinking age in Maine is 18. If so, that's untrue.