Cruel. Hypocritical. Disingenuous. Misinformed. Uninformed. Unread. Choose an adjective. Is the elected hierarchy in Texas wantonly ignorant or blatantly stupid? Or maybe, they think the voters are?
Medical science has known for more than 20 years that the prefrontal cortex doesn’t begin to function until adolescence. It doesn’t function consistently well until the mid-20s or early 30s. This is the part of the brain that permits rational, analytical thinking. Its lack at younger ages at least partially informs the following:
Young people may continue on their parents’ health insurance until the age of 26 because they may not qualify for a quality job good enough to provide much insurance till then. Some companies will not rent a car to them without insurance until age 25 because they cause so many accidents. For reasons of health and safety, alcohol, tobacco and handguns aren’t legal even in Texas until 21.
Young men — and women — may join the military at 18. But they are given long, careful and extensive training in the handling of firearms, especially on the high-powered “weapons of war.”
In total disregard even of common sense, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, Ted Cruz, others in the GOP-led state legislature, plus most Republicans around the country seeking reelection, see nothing wrong in permitting young men to buy those same weapons of war and untold rounds of ammunition as a birthday present to themselves as soon as they turn 18. No waiting period, no background checks. No training, no license.
So far, young women haven’t had much propensity for mass murder and (usually) suicide. Maybe in them, the prefrontal cortex begins to function better, earlier.
On the other hand, maybe it doesn’t functional well at all in some men — see above. In the wake of Uvalde, one GOP governor recently blamed the “shoot ’em ups” around the country on “profanity, pornography, violent movies and video games.” All of which were disproved as a cause of violence decades ago. Guns, of course, were not mentioned.
Freedom of speech does not mean someone can randomly yell “Fire” in a crowded theater. How is it that the “right to bear arms” in the Second Amendment can admit no caveat, but takes precedence over even the right to life? The hypocrisy leaves one speechless.
The Supreme Court has booted Roe v. Wade to the states. In many places, the fetus in the womb will become sacrosanct. But it will be open season in our schools — and many other places.
Ignorance or stupidity? The thing is, individual voters can never make up for the millions pouring into (re)election campaigns by the NRA and other gun lobbyists. As long as politicians are beholden to the purveyors of death for profit, there is just one solution: Vote ’em out! Vote ’em out! Let the voters prove they are neither ignorant nor stupid.
V.L. Bunderson lives in Brownsville.
