How does a personal conflict between 2-4 people end up with one person murdered and more than twenty injured, including nine children? Why not keep your personal conflict personal and not include innocent bystanders? Why the use of guns? Whatever happened to fisticuffs and a good old fashion beatdown? What can we learn to prevent this from happening in the future? So many questions, so few answers.
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I had no idea the gun industry was protected in the most part from civil lawsuits until my good friend Nancy brought this to my attention. This is from the Giffords Law Center.
With nearly every other industry in the United States, civil liability can be used as an important check on irresponsible and harmful industry behaviors. But the profit-seeking gun industry has enjoyed enormous exemptions from liability and accountability in court since President Bush signed the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (“PLCAA”) into law in 2005. Many states have also enacted similar laws that shield firearm and ammunition manufacturers, dealers, and other industry members from many kinds of traditional civil lawsuits.
Civil liability plays an important role in promoting community and consumer safety. In too many cases, however, this principle does not apply to the gun industry because the industry has obtained unprecedented immunity from this system of justice and accountability.
In the 1990s, a series of lawsuits resulted in court judgements holding certain members of the firearms industry liable for particularly reckless practices. But instead of comprehensively reforming its business practices in response, the industry responded by lobbying to pass new gun industry immunity laws in states across the nation to prevent plaintiffs from bringing many types of lawsuits against firearm and ammunition manufacturers and sellers. Then, in 2005, after intense lobbying from the gun industry, Congress enacted and President Bush signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), a law that gives gun manufacturers and sellers unprecedented immunity from lawsuits. Some courts have interpreted PLCAA in an especially broad manner that has effectively slammed courtroom doors shut even when victims bring abundant evidence of illegal gun industry conduct that caused or contributed to their loved ones’ death. At the state level, gun industry immunity laws have now also been adopted in some form in 34 states.
These legal immunities have helped to shield this profitable industry from facing basic financial incentives to better protect public health and safety.
I am not saying that what happened in Kansas City should result in a civil suit against the gun manufacturer. I am wondering why the gun industry should be protected. How many lives could have been saved if only one suit was allowed to proceed against the gun manufactures. The pharmaceutical industry, the tobacco industry, the auto industry, and many others have had to pay the piper. What makes gun manufacturers so special? Nothing in my mind.
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The former president has been found guilty of rape in civil court. He is the only president in history who was impeached twice. He has been found guilty of falsifying records to the extent he is being fined $350 million. He is no longer allowed to do business in the State of New York. A conservator has been installed to oversee his business dealings in New York because the courts cannot trust his family members who are running the business.
Next month he goes on trial for illegal payments to a adult film star. He still faces multiple felony charges in Georgia for trying to disrupt an election. He faces federal charges in Miami for his mishandling of federal documents, some which were classified. Finally, he faces federal charges for his role in the January 6 insurrection where over 1,000 of his followers have been charged with various crimes, many of whom have received extensive prison time for their role in the insurrection.
Yet, the majority of the Republican Party, including the Republican senators and Republican members of the House continue to support the former president and bow down to his every wish. I can think of no other politician in the history of our country who has received such support after such a blatant disregard for the laws which he was sworn to uphold.
One of the key points in today’s court ruling was that the court did not trust the former president or his family members to run the family business in a legal manner which is why a court appointed conservator remains in effect for a minimum of three years. Yet, he will be the standard bearer for the Republican party for the November presidential election.
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If you spend time in northern Michigan, you quickly realize whitefish items are a staple on nearly every restaurant’s menu. Whitefish is light and tasty. When I read the following from Bridge Michigan, I was saddened.
Time hasn’t been kind to whitefish, who’ve endured one crisis after another for 100-plus years and are on the brink of collapse in lakes Michigan and Huron. Now, with some predicting disappearance in as little as a decade or two, scientists are furiously trying to teach the fish how to breed in rivers to survive.
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Quote of the Day: “Their complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological. He noted that Mr. Trump had not committed violent crimes and also conceded that “Donald Trump is not Bernard Madoff.” Still, he wrote, “defendants are incapable of admitting the error of their ways.” Justice Arthur F. Engoron when handing out today’s verdict against the former president and some of his family members.
Orchid of the Day: Caitlin Clark for setting the NCAA women’s all-time scoring record last night. She did it in style with a career high of 49 points in a nationally televised game against Michigan.
Onion of the Day: We, the citizens, who cannot sue the gun manufacturers and who have allowed this to happen without making a big stink about it.
Question of the Day: Do you think Caitlin Clark could play for the Pistons? This was asked by a friend of mine earlier in the day.
Video of the Day: Caitlin Clark highlights from her record-breaking performance yesterday.
Gun manufactures did not pull the trigger IN KC, some bad guys did. What’s next ban kitchen knifes. God did not ban rocks after Cain and Able.