by Ian Millhiser
Tuesday is the Supreme Court’s first day in session since a gunman walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and murdered 17 people. It’s also the day Justice Clarence Thomas picked to deliver a 14-page rant about the fact that it isn’t easier to buy guns in the United States.
California law requires most gun purchasers to wait 10 days when they wish to buy a gun. This waiting period gives state officials time to run a background check on the buyer, and also creates a “cooling off” period allowing someone who intended to give “individuals who might use a firearm to harm themselves or others an opportunity to calm down.”
The plaintiffs in Silvester v. Becerra claim that they should not be subject to this waiting period because they either already own guns or already have a concealed-carry license — and Justice Thomas seems to agree with their argument.
“Common sense suggests that subsequent purchasers contemplating violence or self-harm would use the gun they already own,” the justice claims, “instead of taking all the steps to legally buy a new one in California.”....
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