Why is age 18 the benchmark year to purchase guns, including assault weapons?
According to research conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center, the human brain isn’t fully developed until around age 25. No matter how high the IQ, good judgment remains elusive until then.
The connections between the emotional part of the brain and the decision-making center are still developing – and not always at the same rate – until about age 25. That’s why teens can’t always explain what they were thinking after strong emotional acts or outbursts. They weren’t thinking as much as they were feeling.
Giving people younger than 25 unbridled access to all varieties of guns goes against science.
Claudette Greene
Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.