Reply #92: What good would a "waiting period" do?

[Silverhair]

In 1988, a lady we knew had divorce a wife beating husband. He wouldn't let go of her, and threatened her life, with witnesses. In fact, he left a death threat posted to her door in his own handwriting. (Yeah, really dumb, but that is a different topic.) He was arrested, but his lawyer managed to get him off with a suspended sentence and a restraining order.

The judge called our friend into his chambers, (I was at the trial.)and told her to get and carry a pistol, even to school where she was a teacher. She had to wait several days for the "cooling off" period.

Now please tell me what good a waiting period did for her. Did she need to cool off?

The waiting period was a piece of feel good legislation that accomplished exactly nothing, except make people who really needed one NOW, wait needlessly. In the real world, people don't get angry, drive to a gun store, buy a gun, then come back and shoot someone. Just doesn't work that way.