Along with deterring criminals from attempting to buy handguns, the waiting period and background check will also drastically cut down on crimes of passion or rage, as well as suicide. .
Crimes of passion are crimes committed in the heat of the moment and are influenced by emotion rather than being premeditated. A waiting period would dramatically lower the instances of crimes of passion because the seeker of a handgun would no longer be able to purchase one instantaneously. The waiting period will allow the person seeking the handgun time to calm him or herself and think rationally, rather than letting their emotions dictate their actions. This would be beneficial not only in crimes of passion, but violent acts committed in an emotional state, such as suicide. "Gun-related deaths from suicide account for more annual deaths than do those from homicide", and 60 percent of all suicides are committed with guns(Spitzer PG.51). In addition, a background check that includes a probe into the prospective handgun owners mental health records could reveal other instances of suicidal tendencies or severe mental problems, and they can be denied the purchase. In the United States, are used in 61 percent of suicides and are the most common method of suicide(source 5). A waiting period and background check would dramatically reduce the amount of violent crimes in America, however, violence is not the only cause of handgun related deaths.
Accidental gun deaths, especially among children, are a terrible side effect to gun ownership. "Accidents are directly attributable to three factors: gun availability or density(the number of guns in a locality), the accessibility of guns(the ease or difficulty in operating a gun), and conduct(how guns are actually handled, including frequency and skill)"(Spitzer Pg.54). These factors lead to most gun accidents, therefore eliminating these factors can reduce gun accidents.
