Lautenberg's Response to a letter on S297/HR800

[Magnum PI]

Here's a response to a letter I recently wrote my legislators about S297/HR800 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

This act protects manufacturers if 3rd parties use a firearm in the commission of a crime.

The litigation costs are bankrupting the industry!!!!!

Lautenberg refers to this as as GUN IMMUNITY legislation which it certainly is not.

NJ is DOOMED with guys like this running things.

See Below:

Thank you for contacting me in support of gun immunity legislation. I appreciate hearing from you, and I regret that we disagree on this issue.

The "Firearms Manufacturers Protection bill" would prohibit civil liability actions from being brought in any State or Federal court against a manufacturer or seller of a firearm, ammunition, or a component of a firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. It would also require pending actions to be dismissed.

I cannot support legislation that puts a single interest ahead of the public interest. This bill does not seek to end "frivolous" lawsuits against "law-abiding" dealers and manufacturers. To the contrary, were this bill to pass, victims of industry recklessness would be denied access to the courts - including children and law enforcement officers. And, "straw purchasers" working with rogue dealers to obtain guns for people who are ineligible to buy guns themselves would be immune. Dealers who engage in large-volume sales (e.g. sixty handguns to one customer) would be immune despite their reckless acts.

As you may know, this bill was defeated on the Senate floor on March 2, 2004, by a 90-8 vote; however, its sponsors have vowed to bring the bill to the floor again this year.

I regret that we disagree on this issue, but I appreciate hearing your views. I will continue to support legislation that will save the lives of countless New Jerseyans and Americans. Thank you again for contacting me.


IC

 

[Standing Wolf]

NJ is DOOMED with guys like this running things.

I think Lautenberg would have been happier in East Germany.

 

[SmershAgent]

Ughhh...a saturation of sound bytes. "children and law enforcement officers would be denied access to the courts!" "Straw purchasers" "Rogue dealers"

Geez.

Buying a firearm to give/sell to someone who is legally barred from posession is a crime. This bill would not protect someone who acts as a middleman for a prohibited person.

:banghead:

 

[Magnum PI]

I have to re-read the actual legistlation.....

Did I miss something in the legislation? Does it say anything like what he is claiming???

"Victims of industry recklessness would be denied legal action?" Does it REALLY say this??????????

IC

 

[SmershAgent]

In his mind, a manufacturer is "reckless" every time a gun is legally sold to a licensed dealer, and a dealer is "reckless" every time he sells a gun to an upstanding citizen like you or me. If an evil miscreant breaks into my home, steals a gun, and uses it to murder someone, I would be "reckless" for owning the weapon.

Seriously, though, the legislations specifically allows litigation if the manufacturer/seller violated any laws regarding transfers or sales. Lautenberg is just an idiot.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Nearly Word For Word The Letter I got from him...

That's nearly word for word the same letter I got from him last year during the Lawsuit Reform/AWB fight.

He's an evil mummy, and a smug, sanctimonious bastard to boot.

I say that to his face, if he ever dared show it to me.

 

[akviper]

Have the auto manufacturer's thought about this? Pool builders, platic 5 gallon bucket makers? Just think about all those old cheap high performance cars that the auto manufacturers recklessly put on the market tempting young people to drive too fast and kill themselves. Gun manufacturer's first and what industry will be next? I'm glad we have ____ heads like Lautenberg trying to protect us from his vision of evil.

 

[scout26]

plastic 5 gallon bucket makers?

I work in transportation and somewhere at home I have the article from a trade magazine where Congress went down that road about 12-15 years ago.

One congresscritter (who's name escapes at the moment) actually asked/proposed in a committee meeting (it's on the congressional record) that to help prevent kids from falling in and drowning, the buckets be made with a round/oval bottom so that they would tip over automatically when filled with a liquid. (we need a Homer "Doh ?!?" smilie)


It was for the children !!!

 

[Jeff OTMG]

You might try pointing out that if a company is ever successfully sued for third party misuse of their product, that the automobile industry will cease to exist. I have a friend who had two sons killed ten years apart by drunk drivers. He is ready to sue Ford and General Motors for drunk drivers being allowed use cars they manufactured for killing his children. He is just waiting for one precedence setting case. A manufacturer of a legal product that is sold legally cannot be held liable for the misuse of that product for the life of the product. If your Senator does not understand that then he is an idiot, but we already knew that.