In 2019, President Donald Trump signed a nationwide federal law raising the age to 21 to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed a nationwide federal law raising the age to 21 to buy alcoholic beverages.
It’s a no-brainer: A nationwide federal law should be passed, without delay, raising the age to 21 to buy a gun and/or ammunition.
I have three children and three grandchildren. I know a little bit about kids; 18-year-old kids should not be allowed to buy a gun, much less an assault weapon and massive amounts of ammunition.
Raising the age to 21 won’t stop all kids from getting a gun, but it will make it harder and it will reduce the number of teenagers who get a gun. It will save lives.
This should be an easy layup. It’s low-hanging fruit.
As I now live in Vero Beach, Florida, I have made several pleas for much more gun safety measures with my senators (Marco Rubio and Rick Scott) and my congressman, Bill Posey. I hope to have an impact — we’ll see. In any event, they will hear from me frequently.
I also reached out to Senator Chris Murphy in Connecticut, as he has a leadership role in this sphere.
Convincing Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to push for a federal law raising the age to 21 for gun purchases should be a cake walk. Perhaps you might want to contact them. Let’s get something done.
Dick Sheehan
Vero Beach, Florida
Sheehan is a former resident of Westhampton Beach — Ed.