Waiting Periods for Firearm Purchases are Ineffective

Despite the empty promises of anti-gun advocates that a required waiting period for firearm purchases will stop criminal activity, the criminals continue to prove them wrong.

Naveed Afzal Haq stands accused of killing one woman and wounding five others at a Jewish center in Seattle, WA on Friday, July 28. One of the first victims to be attacked is five months pregnant and was shot in the arm while trying to protect her abdomen.

From the CNN.com article describing the event:

“The day before the shootings, Haq picked up .40-caliber and .45-caliber semiautomatic handguns from two different stores in the Seattle area after honoring the waiting period for purchasing weapons…

Once he arrived at the Jewish center -- a heavily fortified building with bulletproof windows and security cameras -- Haq hid behind a plant outside one of the center's locked doors. When a young girl approached, he grabbed her and forced her to take him inside, [Police Chief Gil] Kerlikowske said.”

It is only logical to conclude that someone deranged enough to commit premeditated murder against innocent women will not be stopped by ineffectual legislation like mandatory waiting periods. Waiting periods are a prime example of an inconvenience placed upon the law-abiding citizenry in the hopes that a false sense of security will distract the populace from our nation’s growing crime problem.

Those in authority should focus more on controlling the criminal population and less on creating feeble “feel good” legislation that does nothing to combat those in our society that are violently combative.

What I Struggle With:

I realize variety is the spice of life and not everyone feels comfortable with training and personally carrying a handgun for self-defense. That's cool with me. A lot of anti-gun people don't want anyone to be able to protect themselves or others. I don't understand... if it were your wife and unborn baby, wouldn't you want a well-trained and responsible citizen to stop this maniac?