League of Women Voters Ohio Action Alert (Freedom grabbing nags)

Action Alert
League of Women Voters of Ohio
17 South High Street, Suite 650
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3413
Phone: 614-469-1505
www.lwvohio.org

As expected, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed gun immunity legislation by a vote of 285 to 140. It now moves to the U.S. Senate. Please respond immediately!

Background
With the support of the gun industry, legislation has been introduced in Congress that will grant special legal immunity for gun manufacturers and sellers. S659 would provide special legal protection for the entire gun industry and deny rights to those victims and their families who have been harmed by an inferior product and a negligent distribution system.

In an editorial the week of April 6th, The New York Times described this legislation as "a disastrous bill to give gun makers and dealers unprecedented protection from liability suits by state and local governments and victims of gun violence." The editorial went on to say, "The bill would shelter the industry from the product liability provisions that apply to most manufacturers, even the makers of toy guns."

The League of Women Voters adopted a national position in 1990, and amended the position in 1994 and 1998, that states:

"LWVUS believes that the proliferation of handguns and semi-automatic weapons in the United States is a major health and safety threat to its citizens. The League supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of these weapons by private citizens. The League supports regulating firearms for consumer safety.

"The League supports licensing procedures for gun ownership by private citizens to include a waiting period for background check, personal identity verification, gun safety education and annual license renewal. The license fee should be adequate to bear the cost of education and verification.

"The League supports a ban on OeSaturday night specials,¹ enforcement of strict penalties for the improper possession of and crimes committed with handguns and assault weapons, and allocation of resources to better regulate and monitor gun dealers.

"The League acknowledges that the U.S. Supreme Court and the lower federal courts have ruled consistently that the Second Amendment confers a right to keep and bear arms only in connection with service in a well regulated militia known today as the National Guard."(Dan: That's BS and the stance is from either ignorance of evil. I suspect evil)

Talking Points (Dan: What an apt name.)
Federal immunity denies gun violence victims their legal rights.

Proposed legislation would block suits filed by individual victims of gun violence seeking to hold the gun industry accountable for irresponsible manufacturing or selling of guns

If a parent loses a child because a gun was not manufactured with a simple and inexpensive child safety device, the parent would have no recourse to make sure the same tragedy didn¹t happen to another family Sweeping federal immunity would also stop lawsuits filed by victims seeking to hold gun manufacturers and sellers accountable for their role in recklessly marketing and supplying guns to criminals.

Federal immunity would give manufacturers and sellers special protection from the law.

No other industry enjoys the special legal protection being proposed by Congress.

To shield a single industry from legal responsibility is fundamentally unfair. Why protect the gun industry, which produces potentially harmful, unregulated products, when we do not hesitate to hold the alcohol industry or the motor vehicle industry accountable for negligence?

Gun industry immunity promotes a dangerous double standard and sends the wrong message about accountability for bad business practices.

Federal immunity would halt progress towards safer guns and greater gun industry accountability (Dan: A gun is as safe as its owner, idiots.)

Gun manufacturers and sellers are exempt from federal consumer product safety regulation.(Dan: The BATF strictly regulates it. Dummies)

The gun lobby made sure that the gun industry was exempted from regulation when the consumer product safety commission was established in the 1970s. The only other product that enjoys this exemption is tobacco.
Teddy bears are more regulated than guns.(That is a bald faced lie by a bunch of left wing damn liars)

Giving the gun industry immunity would remove the ONLY incentive for gun manufacturers and dealers to ensure that guns do not fall into the wrong hands

Successful suits can force manufacturers and dealers to improve their distribution practices, limiting the supply of illegal firearms to criminals and youth.

Lawsuits are not about bankrupting the gun industry, but are about making products safer and preventing distribution to criminals(Dan - The Gun industry ain't rich)

Victims with lawsuits pending are seeking to hold the gun industry accountable when irresponsible business practices have resulted in faulty products, guns in the wrong hands and, in too many cases, the loss of life A majority of cases seek some remedy designed to change the way guns are made and sold to help prevent future gun violence tragedies. The gun industry, like every other industry, has an obligation to its consumers and to the public to ensure that their product is manufactured and sold in ways that are safe, legal, and responsible.

Oppose S659
Oppose any attempt to prevent or limit debate on the bill in the Senate
Please call, fax, or e-mail because regular mail to the capital is still taking a long time to arrive, and this matter is urgent.

Senator Mike DeWine
Phone (202) 224-2315
Fax (202) 224-6519
senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov
Note: Senator DeWine also has an aide on gun issues, Evelyn Fortier, who can be reached by phone at (202) 224-9494 or by fax at (202) 228-0463.

Senator George Voinovich
Phone (202) 224-3353
Fax (202) 228-1382
senator_Voinovich@voinovich.senate.gov

We want to know how responsive members are to action alerts and how many contacts are made with legislators. If you take any of the action suggested, please let the state office know. Drop us an e-mail at leg@lwvohio.org. Give us the names of those you contacted and, if possible, their response. Knowing this information will help the state office and our lobbyists make the case for opposition to this bill.

The LWV are FREEDOM GRABBERS, folks. They sure as hell ain't neutral.

2 posted on 06/05/2003 10:21:01 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan ("Hey Moose! Rocco! - Help the judge find his checkbook, will ya?")

League of Women Voters used to b e a non-partisdan respected group. They were taken over by extreme leftists and are now enemies of America. Sad.

3 posted on 06/05/2003 10:33:22 PM PDT by BenLurkin (Socialism is slavery.)

And they lie. This bill does not exempt gun manufacturers from product liability. The bill merely stops stupid lawsuits filed by anyone and everyone that ever hears a gunshot. It's common sense and I hope to see this sort of bill spill over to cover other (all) industries.

6 posted on 06/06/2003 2:43:34 PM PDT by whereasandsoforth (Have a liberal for dinner. Bake at 350 til bubbly. Serve over ice cream to cut the bitterness.)

Don't start that garbage.

This is a legitimate issue and needs to be discussed without stupid 'disenfranchise the women and all will be well' tripe.

All it does is cloud the discussion and make people like you look like fools.

7 posted on 06/06/2003 4:27:32 PM PDT by ohioWfan (BUSH 2004!!! Leadership, Integrity, Morality)

Thought this story would be of interest since you posted an article on the league of liberal women voters in the past:

Republicans to spurn LWV voter forums- Gutsy Upstate GOP calls a spade a spade

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