[Vision2020] How Many More . . .

[Kenneth Marcy]

On 8/17/2012 12:44 PM, Wayne Price wrote:
> Ron,
>
> " ... seeking to hold gun manufacturers and dealers liable for 
> negligence when their weapons are used in crimes..."
>
> I the truest spirt of equity,how far  do we carry this?

Hold liable the owner of record, which would require, after some date 
certain, the existence of an agreed national registry of owners of 
record. Current federal laws don't allow such to be created, though 
there are registration exceptions for "gangster guns", and there are 
various federal databases, probably uncoordinated, containing data of 
uncertain accuracy and timeliness.

Were the federal law to be amended to treat guns loosely analogously to 
securities, ownership of specific firearms, and the financial basis for 
that ownership, could be reported annually or quarterly on an IRS form 
into a national registry. Purchase and sale of weapons could be treated 
not-so-differently than stocks or bonds, with individually-identified 
weapons changing ownership at the financial leisure of the 
taxpayer-owner, and with complete respect for the owner's constitutional 
rights.

> It's far too slippery of a slope to hold a legitimate manufacturer and 
> dealer liable when they have no control over their products, no matter 
> what those products are, once they leave the manufactures and dealers 
> control.

If weapons manufacturers are not to be held liable, then the latest 
subsequent owners of their products may be held liable if that ownership 
is insufficiently careful of control over those products whose use is 
inherently dangerous.


Ken