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The Firearms Policy Coalition recently won a small victory in the ongoing war against Georgia’s ban on concealed carry for young adults.

On Monday, a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling that dismissed a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s law banning 18- to 20-year-old citizens from carrying a firearm for self-defense.

In the case Baughcum v. Jackson, the court countered findings by the district court that ruled the individuals represented in the lawsuit didn’t have standing.

“We are confident that the case is not moot—at least as to one of the individual plaintiffs and the FPC,” the ruling stated. “Although Meyer and Long have turned twenty-one while this case has been pending, Baughcum is still twenty. So, his claim (and thus the FPC’s claim based on his membership in the organization) is not moot. Moreover, the FPC is a large membership organization and says it has other eighteen-to twenty-one-year-old members in Georgia, such that it continues to have associational standing to litigate this suit.”

FPC filed the suit on behalf of the three young adults. Since the case was filed, two of them have turned 21, making them eligible to apply for a concealed carry permit under Georgia law.

Cody J. Wisniewski, FPC Action Foundation vice president and general counsel, and counsel for FPC, said his organization was happy to receive the good news from the circuit court.

“We’re pleased that the Eleventh Circuit has agreed with FPC and the individual Plaintiffs that our challenge to Georgia’s unconstitutional age restriction can proceed,” Wisniewski said after the ruling. “The defendants have sought to avoid the actual constitutional issues underlying this case by attempting to distract the Court with theories about why we couldn’t bring this challenge. Now that the Eleventh Circuit has settled that question, we can proceed with what really matters—vindicating the rights of 18- to 20-year-old adults in Georgia.”

When it comes to Constitutionally protected rights, about the only one that is infringed upon for 18- to 20-year-old Americans is the right to keep and bear arms. With the 2022 Supreme Court Bruen decision upholding the right of citizens to carry firearms outside the home, states depriving adults aged 18 to 20 of this right are almost certainly running afoul of the Second Amendment.

This battle for young Americans’ right to keep and bear arms has a lengthy history, yet not much real progress has been made. In fact, in the courtroom the matter has repeatedly taken one step forward, then two steps back—usually after the process is dragged out long enough that the plaintiffs turn 21 and their rights are no longer infringed.

18 COMMENTS

  1. If you’re old enough to serve your country and sign legal contracts you are old enough to exercise all your rights without anybody’s permission.

  2. Court rulings in favor of the 2nd Amendment Rights of law abiding citizens, have been historically and as well in more recent times. Ignored by Liberal/Progressive democrat politicians, the Fake news media and members of the elite class. So expecting any court ruling, including the Supreme Court. To stop their tactics of delaying, denying and destroying the 2nd Amendment. By those same democrats. Is ludicrous at best and shows a complete lack of understanding, as to the depths of tyranny to which Liberal/Progressive democrats will go to. In order to obtain the complete control of society. By forcing their ideologies of Liberalism and Progressiveism on the populace. As Allowed.

  3. I bought my first handgun when I was 16. A S&W Model 19. 4″ blue. Followed shortly after by a Colt New Frontier SAA in .22 LR/.22 Mag. Never looked back.

    • The first handgun I bought with my own money was probably a year or so before that. I bought two rifles at separate yard sales prior to that. Then I bought a S&W break top hammerless .38 S&W. Very shortly after that I bought a H&R 999 .22 because that .38 S&W was about 3.50 a box of fifty and the .22 was about .50 a box of 50.

      I had to keep the handguns out of sight because my father would allow shotguns and rifles but no handguns in his house. I would have got an ass whuppin’ and those handguns would have been melted down if he’d known.

      • jwm, did we grow up under the same roof? I was eating breakfast one morning when my Dad asked, “When did you buy that.357 Magnum? ” I stumbled on my grits that day. Your mother will find everything. I was honest and explained. Even though it implicated a cousin. He nodded and said be careful. I’ve tried.

      • I was raised hellfire and brimstone Southern Baptist. My mother did find out. She found cash, a pistol and thank god a skin mag. I say thank god for the nudie mag because the money was legit and could be explained. But without that porn to focus on my church going mother would have focused on the pistol. That would have ended badly for my gun.

        I lived rough for a while. Church every Sunday. Lectures from god fearing bible thumpers. But when the dust settled I still had my pistol.

  4. Children ten and under are now considered mature enough to decide what sex they are and whether or not they have surgery to reconfigure their bodies but a twenty year old cannot buy a handgun. Makes sense to me.

  5. 5 Reasons You Should Carry With A Round In the Chamber. (note: in the video he mentions a primal survival mode in relation to carry with round chambered. This is more formally known as the ‘stress response’ AKA ‘fight or flight’ and I can tell you from personal experience with actual DGU against bad guys he is 100% correct.)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rXgXepJGDQ

  6. RE: “usually after the process is dragged out long enough that the plaintiffs turn 21 and their rights are no longer infringed.”

    The above lame brain birthday based excuse is just as bad as denying the 2A right. Makes as much sense as some perp charged with molesting a minor and when the minor reaches age of consent the charges against the perp would become null and void.
    Time to laugh again at democRats…
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=OknFDV37Zws&feature=shared

  7. 4th attempt to post T Tag will suppress the truth.

    The outrageous shootout after the super bowl is all anyone needs to know about rearming kids with guns. The Far Right Nut cases are already are ignoring that murder and mass shooting because for them “Losses can never be to high” to promote any gun control.

    Psychological studies as well as Insurance records prove that young mails under 25 years of age do not realize the consequences of their actions either short or long term. When you mix in booze, half naked women and guns you are in for a shoot out guaranteed.

    • “The outrageous shootout after the super bowl is all anyone needs to know about rearming kids with guns.”

      These juveniles obtained their weapons illegally; neither one was allowed by law to possess them.

      No one here is in favor of arming underage criminals. Take your bilge and pump it up your ass.

      • You really cannot see the forest for the trees. My post was valid in regards to letting kids have guns both legal and illegal.

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