A new Working Paper by Kristen Covello entitled Young Adults and Firearms: Why Gun Bans are an Ineffective and Unconstitutional Way to Lower Gun Violence in the United States is available. Kristen is a graduating 3L at the University of Wyoming College of Law. The paper’s abstract reads:
In the United States, age restrictions are being used to prevent young adults from accessing firearms. This paper criticizes these restrictions, arguing that young adults, as American citizens, have a constitutional right to possess firearms. Proponents of age restrictions argue that these laws are justified because they lower gun violence and suicide rates, young adults’ brains are not fully developed, and young adults are not guaranteed the right to bear arms by the Second Amendment. Opponents of age restrictions contend that these laws violate the Second Amendment, are discriminatory, prevent young adults from defending themselves, do not effectively lower gun violence or suicide rates, and contradict the legal and historical traditions of the United States. Building on these arguments, this paper suggests that gun violence rates can be reduced through other means, including policies that focus on mental illness, community policing, and improving neighborhood environments.