NRA News Release
Clinton-Gore Yuletide Lawsuit Blatant Effort to Harass Business Community
All legitimate, lawful industries should fear dangerous precedent.
(WASHINGTON, DC) -- The Clinton-Gore holiday gift to lawful American businesses was delivered today, as the Administration announced plans to file a taxpayer-subsidized lawsuit against legitimate, lawful firearms manufacturers, a move that could set a dangerous legal precedent for any and all lawful businesses in America.
"This is a frightening Holiday Greeting from Bill Clinton and Al Gore," said James J. Baker, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. "No lawful industry is safe. Who will they sue next -- automobile makers? The distiller industry? Manufacturers of baseball bats and kitchen knives? If some deviant person misuses your lawful product, this Administration will sue you, rather than hold the criminal responsible."
Baker said such a lawsuit amounts to reckless harassment and typifies the hyprocisy of the Clinton-Gore Administration, which has overseen a 44 percent decline in federal prosecutions of gun crimes, according to a Syracuse University study.
"Attempting to hold a completely removed, lawful industry liable for the deviant behavior of criminals who misuse a lawful product is a notion that is contrary to jurisprudence in this country and flies in the face of common sense," Baker said. "The vast majority of Americans know that we should hold violent criminals directly responsible for their crimes, yet federal gun crime prosecutions have decreased by 44 percent during the term of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. They can't muster the courage to enforce existing laws against violent criminals, and instead threaten an entire segment of America's business community with a federal lawsuit. It is nothing short of judicial harassment, at taxpayers' expense."
Baker noted that a similar suit, filed by the City of Cincinnati was dismissed with prejudice this past October. In his decision, Judge Robert P. Ruehlman noted that lawful firearms manufacturers "... have no ability to control the misconduct of these third parties ..." and further that "... only the legislature has the power to engage in the type of regulation which is being sought ..."
"Hard working Americans don't want their tax dollars spent to harass a lawful industry," Baker said, "they want violent criminals with guns prosecuted. They want existing laws enforced."
In spite of that fact, ATF spokesman Jeff Roehm questioned, in a December 1, 1999 USA Today article, "Does the American taxpayer really want to spend resources in prosecuting ...?"
"That is EXACTLY what the American taxpayer wants," Baker challenged. "Americans want the laws enforced, they want violent criminals prosecuted, and the majority of Americans will oppose this Clinton-Gore effort to harass the lawful firearms industry while ignoring the real problem of lack of prosecutions against armed criminals."
During the past year, 14 states enacted legislation preventing municipalities from filing such lawsuits against lawful manufacturers, and Baker predicted that more states would adopt similar legislation in the coming year. "These suits are clearly wrong-headed, most Americans agree that they're wrong, and the NRA will continue to work with Congress and state legislatures to ensure that this effort ends up in the judicial waste bin in which it belongs."
Posted: 1999-12-08
[This message has been edited by nralife (edited December 08, 1999).]
Clinton-Gore Yuletide Lawsuit Blatant Effort to Harass Business Community
All legitimate, lawful industries should fear dangerous precedent.
(WASHINGTON, DC) -- The Clinton-Gore holiday gift to lawful American businesses was delivered today, as the Administration announced plans to file a taxpayer-subsidized lawsuit against legitimate, lawful firearms manufacturers, a move that could set a dangerous legal precedent for any and all lawful businesses in America.
"This is a frightening Holiday Greeting from Bill Clinton and Al Gore," said James J. Baker, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. "No lawful industry is safe. Who will they sue next -- automobile makers? The distiller industry? Manufacturers of baseball bats and kitchen knives? If some deviant person misuses your lawful product, this Administration will sue you, rather than hold the criminal responsible."
Baker said such a lawsuit amounts to reckless harassment and typifies the hyprocisy of the Clinton-Gore Administration, which has overseen a 44 percent decline in federal prosecutions of gun crimes, according to a Syracuse University study.
"Attempting to hold a completely removed, lawful industry liable for the deviant behavior of criminals who misuse a lawful product is a notion that is contrary to jurisprudence in this country and flies in the face of common sense," Baker said. "The vast majority of Americans know that we should hold violent criminals directly responsible for their crimes, yet federal gun crime prosecutions have decreased by 44 percent during the term of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. They can't muster the courage to enforce existing laws against violent criminals, and instead threaten an entire segment of America's business community with a federal lawsuit. It is nothing short of judicial harassment, at taxpayers' expense."
Baker noted that a similar suit, filed by the City of Cincinnati was dismissed with prejudice this past October. In his decision, Judge Robert P. Ruehlman noted that lawful firearms manufacturers "... have no ability to control the misconduct of these third parties ..." and further that "... only the legislature has the power to engage in the type of regulation which is being sought ..."
"Hard working Americans don't want their tax dollars spent to harass a lawful industry," Baker said, "they want violent criminals with guns prosecuted. They want existing laws enforced."
In spite of that fact, ATF spokesman Jeff Roehm questioned, in a December 1, 1999 USA Today article, "Does the American taxpayer really want to spend resources in prosecuting ...?"
"That is EXACTLY what the American taxpayer wants," Baker challenged. "Americans want the laws enforced, they want violent criminals prosecuted, and the majority of Americans will oppose this Clinton-Gore effort to harass the lawful firearms industry while ignoring the real problem of lack of prosecutions against armed criminals."
During the past year, 14 states enacted legislation preventing municipalities from filing such lawsuits against lawful manufacturers, and Baker predicted that more states would adopt similar legislation in the coming year. "These suits are clearly wrong-headed, most Americans agree that they're wrong, and the NRA will continue to work with Congress and state legislatures to ensure that this effort ends up in the judicial waste bin in which it belongs."
Posted: 1999-12-08
[This message has been edited by nralife (edited December 08, 1999).]