Tires & Guns

[teresafannin]

This will probably get me flamed into oblivion, but what the hell. I received an email tonight that made me think. 100 Americans have been killed by the defective tires put out by Firestone over a period of approximately 3 years.There have been Congressional hearings, public outcry like I have rarely seen before & the lawsuits have barely begun. In that same time frame, 100,000 Americans have been killed by gun violence. There are no Congressional hearings, lawsuits are virtually impossible for survivors to win & the public seems to not care. Before anyone thinks this is about banning guns, get a grip. It is NOT about banning guns, but using a bit of common sense. I am curious as to why the majority of Americans are more concerned about tires than guns. Huge numbers of Americans are killed by legally purchased guns because it is so easy to buy guns, whether you are of age, sound mental capacity, or any of the other so-called reguirements. Please don't tell me that only criminals use guns, the man who killed my son & 6 others was not considered a criminal until 7:10 pm on September 15, 1999. By then it was too late.Criminals do buy guns at gun shows, despite what many groups will tell you. The majority of school shootings were done by kids with legally purchsed guns, many of which were taken from their parents safely locked gun cases. I am interested in hearing your opinions, please don't email me about the NRA, the fact that Hitler banned guns,all the statistics,etc. I have heard it all in the last year. I also don't need to be told this is too emotional an issue. Any issue should raise people's emotions.

 

[Purple Haze]

The public outcry stems from the fact that automobile tires weren't designed to kill people, handguns have no other purpose.

 

[Ezzy]

I also have raised the same thoughts about the deaths in the UK due to car accidents, more people die in the UK because of accidents involving cars, per year than are killed with guns.

I did see the same type of statistics for the States, but I cant remember the details enough to quote them.

But they have recently banned the sale and use (even for sporting purposess) of handguns.

That has not taken them out of the hands of the criminals at all, and probably never will.

Though with the cost of gas over here running at $6.69 per Imperial Gallon, they sure are trying to stop the car use as well.

EZ http://smilecwm.tripod.com/cwm2/sleep.gif

 

[KillerMuffin]

*shrugs* not gonna get into it changed my mind. Not worth it.

[Edited by KillerMuffin on 10-16-2000 at 09:24 PM]

 

[CreamyLady]

KillerMuffin, I am a sane woman, for the most part, and I would no more carry a firearm than blow up a building.

I won't get into the Second Amendment argument, nor my personal belief that the manufacture and sale of handguns is insane. Those arguments have been around for years, and nothing I say now will convince anyone who believes otherwise.

However, a blanket statement indicating that a woman is crazy because she doesn't carry a firearm really gets me going!

 

[Purple Haze]

That's what we need, firearm training in kindergarten, now that's a good idea.

 

[teresafannin]

Corporations get sued all the time. Look at the tobacco industry. My parents started smoking in the early 50's before anyone really realized how harmful tobacco was. People who started smoking after the warnings appeared are suing tobacco companies right & left. No one forced them to smoke. Another example, a parent buys a tricycle for a toddler. Toddler rides into street & is hit by a car. Luckily the child lives. Parents, who should have been watching in the first place, sue the tricycle company & win. The suit alleges that the tricycle couldn't be seen after dark. What the hell kind of parent lets a toddler out, unsupervised at ANY time of the day. The books are full of these kind of lawsuits.It isn't necessarily right, but it is a fact. The problem with starting firearm training at an early age is that kids don't remember. Every hidden camera video I have seen is terrifying. Mom or Dad assures the filmmaker that their child would never touch a gun, has been taught to leave guns alone. The minute the child is left alone, the first thing he does is go for the gun. The vast majority of accidental shootings of children, by children, are done in homes where the parents taught their children all of the rules about guns. My exhusband had a gun, but when my son was little, the gun in our house was kept under lock & key at all times. I didn't even know where it was. When we were in Scouts, we taught on the BB & rifle ranges. There is a reason that a safety class is to be taught at every session. The idea of gun education in schools is scary. Who would teach it? Too many of our kids can't read when they get out of school, but we should teach them about guns. I have no desire to punish gun owners who act responsibly, most gun control advocates don't. There are always extremists & those of us who advocate common sense get ignored.

 

[wild_jay]

If my son had been killed by a gun I would be pretty bent about the subject. In Canada we are in the process of registering all guns, I suppose it makes sense, but I doubt if too many criminals will bother to register. Kind of silly when you think about it. The money for the gun registry could be put toward better policing and public awareness of the dangers of keeping a gun in the home.
As for frivolous litigation, the old adage is simply this. One lawyer in a town...starves. Two lawyers in town...they both get rich.