Today's Indianapolis Star has this editorial, headlined "Blame gun dealers, not manufacturers," reacting to the Indiana Supreme Court's ruling of 12/23/03 that Gary may proceed with its 1999 lawsuit against gun manufacturers and dealer. The conclusion:
Unscrupulous dealers may be to blame in part for the city's murder rate, but it makes no sense to indict an entire industry. A bill pending in Congress could make the Gary court case irrelevant. Legislation that would protect companies that make, import or sell guns from civil claims filed by shooting victims has passed the House and appears headed for approval in the Senate.Indiana Law Blog coverage of the decision may be found here and here (or simply scroll down this page). Posted by Marcia Oddi at December 27, 2003 12:39 PMUnfortunately, the bill goes too far in protecting dealers as well as manufacturers. The nation is confronted with two extremes on this issue. Congress is on the verge of exempting the industry from lawsuits; cities like Gary, meanwhile, are targeting manufacturers as well as dealers. A middle ground is desperately needed.