Reply #55: Common sense varies from state to state... [View All]

[beevul]

I understand that when you said "I don't know what Idahoans were thinking when they made this legal, but something tells me they didn't think it all the way through. We don't let 15 year olds vote or drive cars because they aren't mature enough to handle that kind of responsibility yet" you meant in idaho.

I grew up in MN. We had to be 16 to get a drivers license there. Same for AZ. (lived there a while). Here in NE it appears folks can get one earlier. Also, I recently went on a trip to the black hills in SD and was told that kids could get a DL as early as 14 there.

It seems to vary by state quite alot. Is it possible that kids are deemed "responsible" in the context of driving or firearms based on state/local societal factors? Here in NE for example (at least around where I live) kids get out of school and go home and spend many hours working the farm with the rest of the family. Likewise with firearms, here, kids hunt with the parents from quite an early age.

If true, that would highlight the disconnect between the view of someone from say NY versus someone from NE when those 2 views were both involved in the discussion of a 15 year old carrying a gun, or driving. I am not saying either of those views represent yours, but I would guess yours falls somewhere in between them.

It is an interesting topic to dissect.