[PRINT this page] [E-MAIL a friend] [send us feedback] [home]
Put Down That Law Suit, Pardner, and No One Gets Hurt

excerpts from a report by Greg Palast. July 30, 2005

There are 200 million guns in civilian hands in the United States -- 200 per lawyer. Wade through the foaming websites of the anti-Semites, weekend militiamen and Republicans, and it becomes clear that many among America's well-armed citizenry have performed the same calculation. Because if there is any hope of the ceasefire that they fear, it will come out of the barrel of a lawsuit.

And that is why a shoot-to-kill coalition in the Senate, led by Wild Bill Frist (R-Tenn) and his simpering sidekick, Scary Harry Reid (D-Nev), voted yesterday to grant immunity from law suits to gun makers.

First, the score. Gunshot deaths in the US are way down -- to only 88 a day. Around 87,000 lucky Americans were treated for bullet wounds last year; 32,436 unlucky ones died, including a dozen policemen by their own weapons.

For Americans, America remains more deadly than Iraq.

In one typical case, a young man, Steven Fox, described feeling pieces of his brain fly from his skull after a mugger shot him. He is permanently paralyzed. But, hey, that's business for you. Guns, ammo and accessories are a $6 billion-a-year honey pot for several corporations: Glock, Smith & Wesson, Colt and too many others.

But, the gun-o-philiacs say, what does po' widdle Smith & Wesson have to do with a mugger who uses its gun in an unsocial manner?

This cop-out drives Elisa Barnes crazy. Barnes is the lawyer who brought the groundbreaking lawsuit against handgun manufacturers which, for the first time, were found negligent in abetting a criminal.


You have been reading excerpts from "LAWYERS GUNS AND MONEY: Just Put Down That Law Suit, Pardner, and No One Gets Hurt" by Greg Palast. You can read the entire piece here: tinyurl.com/brae4. Thanks to Greg Palast for many things, including gregpalast.com. We visit often and we hope you will too.

Powered by Blogger