This will shake their cushy lil lives!
WASHINGTON (AP)
Members of Congress are preparing to jump into both sides of the nascent
legal battle some cities have launched against the gun industry. Rep. Bob
Barr, R-Ga., the point man in Congress for the National Rifle Association, led
a bipartisan group of two dozen lawmakers who introduced legislation Tuesday
to block cities and states from filing lawsuits to hold gun makers and
distributors accountable for firearm violence.
"This is a national issue and it cries out for a national remedy," said
Barr, arguing that the lawsuits would destroy the constitution right to bear
arms while undermining the integrity of the nation's legal and free enterprise
systems.
But Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she intends to introduce legislation
to guarantee cities the right to sue gun manufacturers and distributors.
"The federal government sends billions of dollars to local communities to
fight crime," she said. "If local governments believe the fight against crime
is being hampered because of a mass proliferation of guns, I believe it is in
the national interest to allow them to take action in court."
Following the successful state lawsuits against tobacco companies, Atlanta,
New Orleans, Chicago, Miami and Bridgeport, Conn., filed lawsuits seeking to
force the gun industry to take steps to ensure that guns are used properly and
are not distributed to criminals. {Now how can the gun industry stop the
crime, when the cities can't stop the crime? Maybe the gun industry should
sue the cities? The criminals will ruin the gun industry if the criminals,
are not put under control.}
The Georgia General Assembly reacted to the Atlanta suit last month by
enacting legislation to prohibit local governments from suing gun
manufacturers and distributors. At least a dozen other states are considering
similar legislation, said the NRA's Chuck Cunningham.
Yet Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell plans to pursue the lawsuit anyway, and
that, Barr said shows congress must step in. "It is clearly a national
problem and it is not going to go away," he said.
Barr said the cities' lawsuits are based on a "new, novel and abusive
theory of law" that, if upheld by the courts, could make any number of
manufacturers liable for the misuse or criminal use of their products .{ Why
aren't the Cities responsible for the crime? How did this get all turned
around?}
But gun control advocates said Barr's legislation would give the gun
industry a special legal protection to which it's not entitled. "This amount
to political obstruction of justice," said Bob Walker, president of Handgun
Control. "Barr is trying to use political means to stop lawsuits. If the
cases are so frivolous, let the courts throw them out." {They must be sure of
their judges.}
WASHINGTON (AP)
Members of Congress are preparing to jump into both sides of the nascent
legal battle some cities have launched against the gun industry. Rep. Bob
Barr, R-Ga., the point man in Congress for the National Rifle Association, led
a bipartisan group of two dozen lawmakers who introduced legislation Tuesday
to block cities and states from filing lawsuits to hold gun makers and
distributors accountable for firearm violence.
"This is a national issue and it cries out for a national remedy," said
Barr, arguing that the lawsuits would destroy the constitution right to bear
arms while undermining the integrity of the nation's legal and free enterprise
systems.
But Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she intends to introduce legislation
to guarantee cities the right to sue gun manufacturers and distributors.
"The federal government sends billions of dollars to local communities to
fight crime," she said. "If local governments believe the fight against crime
is being hampered because of a mass proliferation of guns, I believe it is in
the national interest to allow them to take action in court."
Following the successful state lawsuits against tobacco companies, Atlanta,
New Orleans, Chicago, Miami and Bridgeport, Conn., filed lawsuits seeking to
force the gun industry to take steps to ensure that guns are used properly and
are not distributed to criminals. {Now how can the gun industry stop the
crime, when the cities can't stop the crime? Maybe the gun industry should
sue the cities? The criminals will ruin the gun industry if the criminals,
are not put under control.}
The Georgia General Assembly reacted to the Atlanta suit last month by
enacting legislation to prohibit local governments from suing gun
manufacturers and distributors. At least a dozen other states are considering
similar legislation, said the NRA's Chuck Cunningham.
Yet Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell plans to pursue the lawsuit anyway, and
that, Barr said shows congress must step in. "It is clearly a national
problem and it is not going to go away," he said.
Barr said the cities' lawsuits are based on a "new, novel and abusive
theory of law" that, if upheld by the courts, could make any number of
manufacturers liable for the misuse or criminal use of their products .{ Why
aren't the Cities responsible for the crime? How did this get all turned
around?}
But gun control advocates said Barr's legislation would give the gun
industry a special legal protection to which it's not entitled. "This amount
to political obstruction of justice," said Bob Walker, president of Handgun
Control. "Barr is trying to use political means to stop lawsuits. If the
cases are so frivolous, let the courts throw them out." {They must be sure of
their judges.}
