Newtown Victims Push to Sue Remington
Kevin Felts 03.30.17
Victims of the Newtown shooting are appealing a judges decision that Remington is shielded from lawsuits by a federal law that protects gun manufacturers. The Connecticut Supreme Court is being asked to review the case.
The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) passed in 2005 protects firearm manufacturers from lawsuits when their products are used to commit a crime.
Opponents claim the PLCAA allows gun manufacturers to produce a product that is designed to take a life. The reality of the situation is that gun grabbers were hoping to use lawsuits to drive firearm manufacturers out of business. Congress stopped that nonsense with the PLCAA.
Devil’s Advocate
Let’s play the devil’s advocate and say the Connecticut Supreme Court allows the lawsuit to go through and Remington is sued. Then comes another lawsuit, and another, until every gun manufacturer is put out of business.
Who will make the small arms (handguns, rifles, and shotguns) for our military? Everyone has been put of out business by trivial lawsuits, so who is going to supply our military with firearms?
Let’s say the government buys just enough arms to keep a small factory open with a few dozen employees. Then we go to war and the government needs 50,000 new rifles. Where are those rifles supposed to come from?
Factories have been dismantled because of trivial lawsuits. Skilled craftsman have gone into other lines of work.
It would take years for the United States to retool and produce the small arms our military would need during a time of war.
Civilians Support the Military Complex
During times of peace, who pays for small arms research and development?
The civilian free market does.
Without the civilian market, the United States government could not buy enough arms to keep the factories open.
Without the factories, we have no way to retool for war.
In essence, it is a matter of national security that gun companies are protected for trivial lawsuits.