Far Reaching Consequences
Opinion: By Dale Lowdermilk. November 19, 2019
The recent Sagus handgun murders and the US Supreme Court ruling against a 115 year old firearms company will change history, one way or another. Before anyone places their bets on the Remington Arms v. Soto case, it might be worth considering some possible unintended consequences.
If Remington Arms is liable for the ILLEGAL misuse of an AR15 used in the 2012 Sandy Hook murders, it’s highly likely that makers of ammunition, rifle scopes, hearing and eye protectors, targets and other firearm accessories will be vulnerable to future lawsuits. Since murderers need to perfect their skills, local shooting ranges, sporting goods stores, hunting and fishing clubs, will need to start screening all their customers (and members) on a regular basis. Clothing stores should probably stop selling ski masks and hoodies as well.
Adam Lanza, the 2012 murderer, was apparently a big fan of violent video games, so heads-up to all you young deranged Silicon Valley programmers. Be sure to include a good attorney in your list of beta testers.
YouTubers, be cautious before posting your tips on hunting, field dressing, tracking, camo gear, fair-chase, kill shots or venison recipes. Additional "legal jeopardy" will be waiting for the THOUSANDS of individuals providing safety instruction on social media regarding ammo, reloading, cleaning, concealed carry, safe storage and ways to improve a shooter’s safety, speed or accuracy. Remember, the internet (and Big Brother) lives forever.
If you enjoy adult beverages, own a vehicle or thrive on violent sporting events (MMA, football, soccer, Olympic curling etc) the tentacles of the Remingon lawsuit could eventually touch you too.
Globally, motor vehicles kill 3,287 people each day and 20-50 million are injured or disabled each year. A majority of these crashes are NOT caused by the vehicle, but incredibly, by the driver. Should Ford, Honda or Toyota designers, assembly line workers and dealerships be charged as co-conspirators when one of their jalopies is used during a robbery/murder getaway or when a teenager dies while imitating "Street Outlaws" or has fantasies of being an Indy 500 driver?
Should Seagrams, Heineken or Gallo vintners, distributors and liquor store owners, be sued when a drunk driver plows head-on into a crowd of people? Should bakers, wholesalers and local vendors be responsible for heart disease, diabetes and obesity for selling 4 dozen Twinkies and a gallon of ice cream to a customer who doesn’t look physically or mentally fit?
Are cattle ranchers, meat processors, corporate marketing teams, fast food owners and ESPECIALLY those valedictorian Asian kids flipping burgers, responsible for the junk-food epidemic? Should laws be passed to prevent Mr. Chubs from ordering quadruple-burgers for his wife and children? Does a bad diet equate to child abuse?
For a non-hypothetical reminder of how evil can evolve, it only takes about 10 minutes to read the intentions buried between the lines of Regulations Against Jews’ Possession of Weapons, from 1938 Germany.
The Remington Arms v. Soto case is more than a slippery slope, it’s a teflon precipice, chocked full of good intentions and unintended consequences.
Feel-good legislation, attempting to prevent another Sandy Hook or Saugus-type massacre, will be highly politicized by both sides. Once these final solutions are justified behind a banner of "public safety", controlled by self-anointed experts, social engineers and enforced by jackbooted bureaucrats … what could possibly go wrong?
"The sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in killer’s hand"
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4BC-65AD)
(Cautiously stockpiling Twinkies,)
