Letter to the editor: Gun makers' liability

The editorial “Will Mt. Pleasant boy’s death change federal law?” (April 16, TribLive) on the misuse of a firearm by teenagers resulting in a tragic death correctly states that federal law provides protection to the firearms industry from lawsuits for criminal use/misuse of their legal products and uses an analogy of car manufacturers not being responsible for the actions of drunk drivers using their cars.

However, the editorial wrongly compares holding the firearms manufacturer accountable for its decisions and legal practices to a journalist committing libel, which is a crime. The manufacturer has no legal culpability for third-party misuse of its product; manufacturers are only being sued because they have deep pockets.

The editorial mentions a study by the Annals of Medicine claiming that people are more likely to be injured by a handgun in the home of a lawful owner. The article, which was funded by three anti-gun organizations, specifically states that it could not attribute the injuries to the handgun but just that a handgun was in the house. The report does not address legal gun defensive uses per the CDC showing that the annual number of people using guns for protection ranged from about 64,000 to 3 million.

Mike Sivack

Murrysville