The United States took a great leap backward when the House of Representatives passed a bill that shields gun manufacturers and dealers from all types of liability lawsuits, while in the same week another country, Brazil, is holding a referendum to ban all types of firearms.
The overwhelming majority of the House, with a vote of 283 to 144, supported the bill, which goes against the entire legal premise of this country’s justice system. The whole point of the judicial system is to have judges and juries decide on such matters, not politically motivated politicians.
When President Bush signs the bill into law, manufacturers will not face the amount of frivolous lawsuits that are now being made against them, but they may also be less inclined to manufacture guns with sufficient warning labels, and bring into the market defected guns.
The law might one day strike down a legitimate lawsuit against a gun manufacturer when that manufacturer may actually be liable. Though large amount of lawsuits against gun manufacturers may be frivolous, this will discount any potential legitimate cases.
The heavy influence that the National Rifle Association has on lawmakers became clearer when the bill passed; it shows that lawmakers are more concerned with the well-being of this organization than the well being of their constituents.
It sends a bad message to the world on the legality of guns, especially coming from a country as democratic as the United States. It might encourage the improper manufacturing of firearms, with less regard for safety concerns, and may, in fact, increase gun production altogether.
The passage of the “cheeseburger bill,” which prevents frivolous lawsuits against fast-food restaurants, is more acceptable, because it does not involve the legality of producing weapons responsible for most homicides in the U.S.
To pass such a bill is almost to say that lawmakers are trying to stimulate gun use, rather than control it, even though last year guns were responsible for almost 8,000 deaths nationwide, according to the Bureau of Crime Statistics, while knives and other methods of homicide accounted for less than 3,000 fatalities nationwide.
The bill is not necessary to keep the U.S. arms industry in business, and it is unimaginable that lawmakers sympathize with such a profit-making industry.
It is also surprising that 53 Democrats supported the measure, even though the Republican-dominated House would have tallied enough votes to pass it.
The disappointing message the federal government is sending, aside from the fact that they have shown their willingness to pass a bill that could potentially violate the Constitution, is their support for an industry that helps contribute to violence in this country.
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