Via The Truth About Guns by Doug Howlett
A growing coalition of U.S. states and firearm advocacy groups is mounting a vigorous defense of American gun manufacturers against a lawsuit brought by the Mexican government. At the heart of the legal battle are accusations by Mexico that U.S. firearm companies are complicit in fueling gun violence across the border, claims that are patently laughable given the well-documented savagery of cartels with and without guns and widespread weakness and corruption at every level of the Mexican government.
Mexico’s Lawsuit Against American Firearm Manufacturers
The Mexican government has sought billions in damages from leading U.S. gun manufacturers, alleging their products contribute to violence perpetrated by drug cartels. Mexico’s case, revived by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit after an initial dismissal, hinges on the claim that American gunmakers knowingly enable illegal trafficking into Mexico and that their marketing appeals to criminal organizations. The lawsuit also seeks sweeping gun control measures, including bans on “assault weapons” and “large-capacity” magazines.
In response, the NRA, along with the Independence Institute and FPC Action Foundation, filed an amicus brief arguing that the lawsuit epitomizes the type of “abusive litigation” the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) was designed to prevent. The NRA emphasized that only a small fraction of firearms used in Mexican crimes originate in the U.S. and that Mexico’s own governmental failures, not American manufacturers, are to blame for its crime rates.
The SAF also filed an amicus brief in the case supporting the industry and condeming the lack of logic in supporting such a lawsuit without standing as it would allow foreign countries to dictate what products are made in America and available to Americans.
“Mexico’s attempt to hold U.S. firearms manufacturers legally responsible for the criminal activity of others, in a foreign country, is precisely the type of lawsuit that Congress designed the PLCAA to block,” noted SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Mexico’s lawsuit isn’t just an attack on gun makers, it’s an effort to undermine the authority of Congress to protect manufacturers and consumers alike. As we note in our brief, if Mexico’s lawsuit is allowed to stand, it will result in a new wave of massively expensive litigation solely designed to crush the firearms industry and ultimately eviscerate the Second Amendment. That cannot be allowed to happen.”
It makes as much sense as if Belgium decided to sue China for all of the gas-powered cars they make and allow to operate throughout much of Asia creating increased carbon emissions and tried to force them to stop using such cars or if California didn’t feel cigars were healthy so sued the Dominican Republic for making and exporting cigars in an effort to cripple the industy there. Or maybe, it makes as much sense as filing a wrongful death suit against Mexico for all the fentanyl their cartels smuggle into this country killing an estimated 76,000 Americans a year or suing Mexico for all the money United States taxpayers must pay to support illegals who sneak into the country and then must be supported financially like we’ve done under the Biden Administration.
Coalition of States Pushes Back
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, joined by attorneys general from 27 other states, has taken the fight to the Supreme Court, filing a brief urging the justices to reject the First Circuit’s interpretation of PLCAA. Knudsen criticized the theory of proximate causation adopted by the appellate court, warning that it would undermine protections for lawful gunmakers and open the door to meritless lawsuits.
“That Mexico disagrees with our Nation’s history and tradition of firearm ownership is no consequence to its ability to impose its preferences on the American people via judicial fiat. This lawsuit against American gun manufacturers recycles the failed, anti-gun lawfare tactics already rejected by Congress. Mexico’s legal theories have no basis in law or fact,” Knudsen stated.
Knudsen further highlighted Mexico’s role in its own gun violence crisis, pointing to the government’s inability to control drug cartels and enforce existing laws.
“If Mexico wants to end its domestic gun problem, it may do so. It could name and report the gun dealers who allegedly sell guns to drug cartels. It could attempt to negotiate with the United States to extradite individuals who trafficked guns to Mexico. It could finish its war with the cartels. It could even close its border with the United States. But it cannot end the domestic manufacturing of American firearms,” he wrote.
PLCAA and Its Role in the Fight
The PLCAA, signed into law in 2005, provides broad protections for firearm manufacturers and retailers, shielding them from liability for crimes committed with their legally sold products. Defenders of the law argue that dismantling these protections would pave the way for politically motivated lawsuits aimed at bankrupting the firearms industry.
The NRA’s brief underscored this point, noting the historical context of similar lawsuits in the 1980s and 1990s.
“This case epitomizes the type of abusive lawsuit that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was enacted to prohibit,” NRA stated.
Read in its entirety at thetruthaboutguns.com.
READ NEXT: Dark New Evidence Revealed In CEO’s Death: Some Investigators Refuse To Participate
The new President of Mexico is a WEF puppet. The WEF & UN failed to take the fires arms from the American people under Biden now Mexico will try
What happened with Obama’s fast and Ferrous
So, the insanity of Mexico. This is how it should be said.
“Since we (Mexico) believe that the United Stated actually belongs to Mexico, that we didn’t lose the war and so the border needs to come down so all Mexicans can flood the U.S. in addition, the President of Mexico is afraid the cartels will hunter down and kill her, she is going to support this gun confiscation, sue gun companies out of existence and make it easy for the cartels to take over America …that is how these people think. Insanity at its worst.
This lawsuit is obsurd. Mexico always had a systemic culture of corruption, and that is how the cartels get their guns. If the authorities step on the toes of a cartel, the cartel will murder those who were not corrupted. When Mexico eliminates the corruption, then they can consider an international lawsuit.
If Mexico can sue in the U.S. for weapons crossing the border illegally it sounds like it is time for the U.S. to sue Mexico for all the illegals coming across the border.
Give the citizens of the U.S.A. a list of products from Mexico so we can boycott them, and let their products rot on store shelves. Mexico cant control itself much less the cartels, so —“Up Yours Mexico”!
If the law was passed in 2005 protecting manufacturers from liability for products (guns legally purchased and later used in the commission of a crime), how did the state of CT pass a law that allowed the parents to sue the manufacturer of the firearms used? The mother of the shooter legally purchased the guns for her son who was under Dr’s care for psychiatric problems. The Dr supposedly knew that the kid had homicidal tendencies and failed to report this to the police. Why did he never face any blow back about his failure? The state passed a law that specifically allowed the gun mfg to be sued and they promptly were. Does this mean that a manufacturer of alcoholic beverages can be sued for a fatal drunk driving accident or an automobile mfg could be sued for a fatal speeding accident? Those cases would never hit the courts because those manufacturers have million of dollars to bribe legislatures and judges to uphold the Federal law while the gun lobby is looked down upon by the liberals who want every AMERICAN UN armed so they are easier to control!
Tell Mexico to go F**K itself and to take all of its ILLEGAL TRASH HOME along with their guns and other crap they have brought into the USA
Mexico is a great example of what happens with no 2nd Amendment. Only corrupt police and other criminals have guns. You see the result of that.
Hmm – how about the .gov coalition AND the gun manufacturers being sued file a counter suit against the Mexican .gov for $50 BILLION for failing to even attempt to control the cartels and in fact encouraging and even assisting them.