Growing gun violence in America is becoming a bigger concern for people with each passing day. However, on February 8th, the state of Missouri voted against a proposal that suggested banning minors from carrying weapons in public without the supervision of adults. The proposal presented in the Republican-led Missouri state house was rejected by a 104-39 vote; with merely a single Republican representative voting in favor of the motion. Recently, Lakers Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar expressed his fears for the nation’s children while issuing a condemning claim on the whole scenario.
After the proposal was rejected, Republican representative Tony Lovasco admitted that a 14-year-old teenager would not have any ‘legitimate’ reason for having a gun. However, Lovasco argued there were no guarantees that a teenager carrying a gun would hurt someone. The statement from Lovasco left Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in search of logic, as he expressed his concerns about the nation’s teenagers.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar devastated by Missouri’s rejection
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In a recent update on Kareem Substack, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote, “When I read that previous statement my brain actually hurt from the convoluted logic and sheer lack of concern for the people of Missouri, especially the children.” The six-time NBA champ was not impressed by Lovasco’s statement and questioned the absence of concern for the kids of Missouri.
Moreover, Kareem admitted that a teenager carrying a gun did not mean they would surely harm someone. However, the two-time Finals MVP pointed out that the chances of such unfortunate incidents would be much lower if the teenager “wasn’t carrying a gun”
Further, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also referred to a study that claimed that the rational part of a teenager’s brain known as the prefrontal cortex, takes until the age of around 25 years to develop completely.
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As per the study, the prefrontal cortex in the brain is responsible for moral judgment and foreseeing the consequences of decisions. Further, the study suggested that a teenage brain processes information with the amygdala, the emotional part of the brain.
Meanwhile, Kareem also expressed his frustration on the matter. The 19-time-All-Star wrote, “So, the downside is Missouri is okay with handing a child—whose brain is not yet developed enough to respond with good judgment—a loaded weapon to carry in public. The child might deliberately or accidentally hurt someone, even themselves.”
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Kareem Abdul felt that the rejection of the banning of guns among teenagers would create a dangerous situation for the children and the people while criticizing the Republicans’ lack of safety concerns.