An appeals court has shot down a lawsuit against gun makers filed by New York City.
New York is one of many cities that has sued gun manufacturers on the grounds that the gun makers knew their guns would be used in crimes and sold them anyway. Supposedly the companies failed in their responsibility by not policing retailers, vendors entitled by law to carry and sell those guns.
With equal logic one could go after knife manufacturers for selling knives. Or the manufacturers of any object heavy enough to hit somebody over the head with.
Or PC makers. Plenty of crimes have been committed using a laptop. Not to mention the various software on these machines. Or telephones. Cell phones. Have any crimes been committed using these instruments? Are all the manufacturers of these items properly liable for the conduct of costumers who use their products to break the law?
New York’s lawsuit was not about a lapse in any company’s legitimate responsibility. It was about a new way to try to impose gun control and further restrict the rights of citizens to acquire personal armaments . . . which people use not just to hunt or collect, as some presidential candidates would have it. Guns are also handy in defense against violent assault.
So, now that that this indefensible tactic has been shot down, will it stay down?
That, we’ll see.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.