This is why it sucks to live in California, the Constitution simply doesn’t matter:
THE DC – The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a California state law requiring a 10-day waiting period for the purchase of all firearms.
Judge Mary Schroeder, a President Jimmy Carter appointee, wrote the opinion for the three judge-panel. Chief Judge Sidney Thomas wrote an opinion concurring in the judgment.
The challenge to the California law was brought by a coalition of pro-Second Amendment groups who claim it infringes a constitutional right.
In upholding the law the court wrote:
Thus the waiting period, as applied to these Plaintiffs, and the safety storage precautions, as applied to the plaintiffs in Jackson, have a similar effect. Their purpose is to promote public safety. Their effect is to require individuals to stop and think before being able to use a firearm.
The State is required to show only that the regulation ‘promotes a substantial government interest that would be achieved less effectively absent the regulation.’ The State has established that there is a reasonable fit between important safety objectives and the application of the WPLs to Plaintiffs in this case. The waiting period provides time not only for a background check, but also for a cooling-off period to deter violence resulting from impulsive purchases of firearms. The State has met its burden.
How hard is it to understand “…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”?
I must say having to wait two weeks on a handgun permit is driving me crazy. But I know I could walk into any store in my state and purchase a shotgun or rifle and not have to wait at all.
What California is doing with this law is forcing law abiding gun owners to wait 10 days before they buy ANY firearm. So if you’ve got someone stalking you or threatening you (or whatever), you can’t just go out and get the protection the Constitution allows you to have. You have to wait and hope nothing happens.
And of course we know criminals aren’t going to abide by this law. They’ll break into someone’s house who just waited 10 days to buy their firearm and steal it.
I’m sure this decision will be appealed and let’s hope this law gets overturned!