<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Byron:
If the tobacco companies, with their enormous diversification and profoundly deep pockets, couldn't ward off a barrage of threatened and actual lawsuits, what chance would a comparatively weak company like S&W have? None, zero, zilch. S&W got out from under about as well as they could have for all concerned. As for boycotts, well, the list is now Ruger, Colt, UPS, and Smith & Wesson. When the other gun companies follow, which they will, they'll have to go on the boycott list, too, of course. These boycotts will have no significant economic impact, so what these companies will discover is that they don't really need to pay any attention to people who threaten boycotts. S&W has been a major contributor and supporter of the shooting sports at all levels, including sponsoring the one show dedicated purely to guns and shooting that's available on TV. I have great sympathy for their plight, and I hope they survive and prosper; we are not better off without them. Byron
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My gut tells me boycott, but my head says Byron is right.I don't think we yet know the effects of all this. I think it's a terrible move by Smith, but who knows the long-term impact. Will LEA's favor them now? Will cops agree to carry S&W "safe" guns? LEO guns are exempt from this, and many cops have unions, so maybe they'll boycott them. What will the impact be for other manufacturers? I hope that Glock (my choice in guns along with 1911's) adopts a built-in lock like the new Steyr pistols have. Totally your option to use it or not, and it can't accidentally be activated. If every manufacturer did this right away, a tremendous amount of air would be let out of the anti-gunners arguments. Glock, are you listening?
Rather than take our anger out on S&W, I think it should be directed at Clinton and his henchmen. This is nothing more than extortion, coercion, and blackmail by the government, using YOUR tax dollars. If you or I as individuals threatened to sue someone from existence with nuisance lawsuits, when they had done NOTHING wrong, would this be allowed to happen? I doubt it. We need to RAISE H*LL over this at every chance, to make people aware that our gov't has stooped to blackmail to try and do what they cannot do in the courts or legislature. This is SO contrary to what the Founders of this great country intended, imo. We are out of control. Example: the jury deadlocked in the civil trial brought by the family of the criminals from N. Hollywood bank shootout. 3 of 12 felt that the police had violated his civil rights and let him die. Is this insane? I had a liberal friend of mine call me, and he was outraged... to him it was a slam-dunk...the majority was right, and to Hades with the criminals. The two shooters fired thousands of rounds and were willing to kill anything and everything in their path. That someone, of the eleven wounded, didn't die is a miracle. This is what we've come to. Blame everyone one else, and take no responsibilty yourself. Argggggghhhhhhh
[This message has been edited by Covert Mission (edited March 20, 2000).]