It’s the guns, stupid
In Georgia, no waiting period to buy a gun.
In Georgia, eight people are dead because the killer was “having a really bad day.” And on that very same day, he was able to buy a gun to carry out the killings.
One cannot help but wonder how things might have turned out differently if a disturbed, sex-addicted, Asian-hating young man had had to wait. At one time, he would have. Maybe he could have calmed down or gotten help; maybe talked to someone about his frustrations and guilt over his addictions.
But no, he was able to legally purchase the murder weapon and take out his anger by gunning down six Asian women, one white woman, and a white man.
And I don’t mean to call out Georgia. Only 10 states plus the District of Columbia have mandated waiting periods on gun purchases.
Waiting periods were once part of federal law, mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993. But in 1998, the five-day waiting period was replaced with the National Instant Criminal Check (NICS) system. Here’s the catch: The NICS only works if the gun buyer has a previous record. Newbies like the Georgia murderer aren’t flagged.
Numerous studies demonstrate that a mandatory waiting period between the sale of a gun and its delivery can save lives. It’s not only murders…
