Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is one of the more bombastic and vitriolic members of Congress, with a history of pushing the envelope on what race-baiting things one can say while still serving in the federal government. So naturally, when he does a bad tweet, people love to dunk on it and him.
Here’s King with the tired argument that somehow the age one can vote and the age one can own a gun should have any correlation.
If you are a teenager & believe you won’t be responsible enough to own a gun until 21, why should you vote before 21?
— Steve King (@SteveKingIA) March 27, 2018
To debunk King’s correlation: Teenagers don’t believe that they, specifically, are too irresponsible to own a gun, they simply believe that if every teenager was restricted from owning a gun it would create a safer society.
Which is something the U.S. already did with handguns.
Also, that owning a gun, and having a say in the whole host of matters relating to the society you live in, are two different things.
Naturally, the tweet got ratioed to hell.
because we're responsible enough to know you should be voted out AND reasonable enough to know that commons sense gun reform saves lives.
— Joseph Tolsma (@JosephStanten) March 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/ItsMeCathi/status/978495584700125184
If you are almost 70, and believe in magical vaginas that shut down the reproductive system when they detect rape, you shouldn't be allowed to have a gun, vote, drink, be in congress or reproduce. https://t.co/kYCMCo4lMX
— Facts Do Matter (@WilDonnelly) March 27, 2018
I'm an adult & believe I shouldn't EVER be allowed to own an AR-15, at any age. At what age should I be able to vote? https://t.co/K6x2Lp8VbA
— Deborah Roseman (@roseperson) March 28, 2018
- But if you want the argument debunked by basic logic/science, there’s also this:
Teen brain development makes them more prone to impulsive decisions, but they're just as capable of longterm reasoning as older adults are: https://t.co/x7MRuSqmlU (In other words, they're quite capable of weighing the pros and cons of voting you out!) https://t.co/g7lDp11g97
— Rachel Feltman (@RachelFeltman) March 27, 2018
There you have it.
H/T Huffington Post