What Does Robert Ricker Have To Say About
These Lawsuits?
"We think that the issues presented in all the suits so far
should be presented by the state legislatures … Running
to the civil courts for a criminal justice problem is a mistake."
— Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), June 10, 1999
"For years … they've tried to drive our companies out
of business through legislation, through many different legislative
campaigns, both at the state level and the federal level.
And they've been unsuccessful, and I think now they're frustrated
at the lack of success they've had in the legislatures. And
now they're turning to the courts."
— PBS Online News Hour, December 23, 1998
"The problem is the criminal misuse of guns, and it's very
difficult to blame our industry for the criminal acts of criminals."
—CBS Evening News, December 13, 1999
"It would be akin to making the automobile industry responsible
for the injuries as a result of drunk driving."
—CBS Evening News, May 2, 1998
"We think they are frivolous lawsuits, and we think that
it's unfair for the city or the county in this case to try
to deflect blame … You're not going to solve a criminal
justice problem by going to the civil courts."
—Detroit Free Press, April 27, 1999
"Just because a gun is traced back to a particular dealer
doesn't mean that the dealer has done anything wrong …
Some dealers have sold a large number of guns traced to crimes
because they are high-volume dealers … We all have an
interest in seeing that the bad guys are in jail and the honest
dealers are protected."
— Los Angeles Times, February 5, 2000
"[The] firearms industry is a highly regulated industry.
There is a specific bureau of our federal government that
has been charged with regulating the manufacture, sale and
distribution of firearms, and that department is known as
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. There are over
20,000 gun laws on the books right now. Guns are the only
consumer product that can only be sold after a person goes
through a criminal background check and passes that check.
So, in terms of other consumer products, firearms are really
more regulated and go under more scrutiny than, let's say,
toasters or teddy bears."
— CNN.com (transcript of online chat conducted with
Robert Ricker), May 10, 1999
"The availability of firearms is more restricted now than
it has ever been. And if you look at the number of guns available
per capita, there was probably back in the late 1800s early
1900s, more guns available per capita than there are now.
And back at that time, there were virtually no restrictions
on the sale or acquisition of firearms. What we have today
however is a criminal justice problem that our cities have
been unable to deal with effectively, so the easy way out
is to blame the gun."
— CNN.com (transcript of online chat conducted with
Robert Ricker), May 10, 1999
"We try to work with law enforcement to guarantee and make
sure that firearms are used safely."
— CNN.com (transcript of online chat conducted with
Robert Ricker), May 10, 1999
"This industry has nothing to do with why criminals commit
crimes with guns. Our industry is highly regulated. We pay
millions and millions of dollars each year in federal and
state taxes, we employ thousands and thousands of individuals,
and we are the mainstay in many states in their state economy.
There is no relationship between our sound business practices
and the criminals who may misuse the products we make."
— CNN.com (transcript of online chat conducted with
Robert Ricker), May 10, 1999
"There are a lot of people who feel the courts and judges
are out of control … It isn't going to stop with guns.
They've already got their sights on the alcohol industry,
fast food, automobiles. We're going to try to do whatever
we can to shape public opinion to really expose these rich
trial lawyers for what they are."
— The Gottlieb-Tartaro Report, Issue 050, February
1999
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