During this fog of war, and not last fall when the nation was focused on the Washington, D.C., area sniper attacks, legislation has been introduced in Congress that would put gun manufacturers beyond the reach of liability suits.

Every day we read about suits against big tobacco, automobile makers, chemical plants and so forth, all having to do with product liability. Courts decide whether manufacturers are liable for damages to smokers, rollover victims, and the like. It’s the American way of holding the makers responsible for their products. So why should the firearm industry get a break?

Why should gunshot victims or state and local governments or the NAACP, to name a few, not be able to bring suit because of faulty or unsafe weapons or because of the actions of shady gun dealers?

There is a lot of talk about tort reform these days, particularly in regard to limitations on monetary rewards for non-economic damages in medical liability cases. If mere limitations are controversial, how about this total elimination of responsibility and prevention of damages?

This has nothing to do with law-abiding gun owners or the Second Amendment.

It just protects the makers and sellers of the products. If this law passes, why not go on and exempt all manufacturers from their responsibilities as well?

S. 659 and HR. 1036 are not worthy of consideration. Let’s not let those responsible for the firepower in the hands of people in this country be above the law.

Edward Walworth, Lewiston