5 Laws That Can Get Bipartisan Support After Florida School Shooting

By Napp Nazworth, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, February 20, 2018

1. Minimum Age for Rifle Purchases

Shotguns are shown for sale at the AO Sword gun store in El Cajon, California, January 5, 2016. President Barack Obama said on Monday his new executive actions to tighten gun rules were 'well within' his legal authority and consistent with the U.S. right to bear arms, a warning to opponents who are likely to challenge them in court. — Shotguns are shown for sale at the AO Sword gun store in El Cajon, California, January 5, 2016. President Barack Obama said on Monday his new executive actions to tighten gun rules were "well within" his legal authority and consistent with the U.S. right to bear arms, a warning to opponents who are likely to challenge them in court. | (Photo: REUTERS/Mike Blake)

Under current federal law, one must be at least 21 to own a handgun, but to own a rifle or shotgun, the age requirement is 18. Since many of these school shooters have been teens, one suggestion is to raise the age requirement for long guns to match that of handguns.

This proposal is currently under review in the Florida legislature, along with expanding the three-day waiting requirement for handguns to all guns.

Conservative NYT columnist Ross Douthat proposed even more restrictive age requirements.

"Let 18-year-olds own hunting rifles. Make revolvers available at 21. Semiautomatic pistols, at 25. And semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15 could be sold to 30-year-olds but no one younger," he wrote in a Saturday op-ed.

Napp Nazworth, Ph.D., is political analyst and politics editor for The Christian Post. Contact: napp.nazworth@christianpost.com, @NappNazworth (Twitter)