U.S. HOUSE POISED TO DUMP RIGHTS OF GUN VICTIMS

Statewide Gun Violence Prevention Organization Calls on Ohio's Representatives
to Stand Up to Gun Lobby and Protect Basic Rights of All Citizens

It appears highly likely that the U.S. House, acting under pressure from the gun lobby, will take up and pass a bill today or tomorrow, probably the Senate version S. 397 rather than H.R.800, intended to effectively and uniquely immunize gun manufacturers, distributors and dealers from civil liability of almost all kinds, as well as diminish law enforcement's ability to enforce dealer conduct rules and regulations. The Senate passed this bill in July.

Toby Hoover, Executive Director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence (OCAGV), called on Ohio's Representatives to vote against final passage of H.R.800/S.397. Hoover said: "Among other abominations, this bill would make the most lethal and unregulated of American industries the most protected, by taking away citizens' rights to seek redress from makers of defective guns, irresponsible distributors and dealers whose guns flow freely to the illegal market that fuels crime."

Why does the gun industry want this special protection? Proponents of the bill say that it is because the gun industry is in a crisis. But as pointed out by a number of Senators during their debate, there is no crisis. Of the more than 10 million tort suits brought before state courts between 1993 and 2003, only fifty-seven involved gun liability. A crisis? asked Nancy Wellman, OCAGV Board member.

Wellman continued: Most of the 'thousands' of gun laws that the gun lobby loves to complain about are directed at consumer behavior, the industry itself 'suffers' from lack of regulations. Now dealers will also have immunity from any responsibility for their actions. What incentives would they have to clean up their acts if they have immunity? Especially in an industry that already has no product regulation? No other industry enjoys or has ever enjoyed such blanket immunity."

Hoover said: "Are Americans content to give away their rights to seek redress from injury at the hands of gun makers, distributors and sellers, all because the gun industry and its protectors in the gun lobby want them to? We at OCAGV believe that, if people knew the people they elected were considering taking their rights away, they would reject it and hold them responsible."

Safe Schools Week 2005 - National Day of Concern - SPEAK UP

OCTOBER 19, 2005 - 9:30 A.M.
Arlington School
Toledo, Ohio

Sponsored By The Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence & the Victim's Forum
Also a part of ERASE THE HATE

The National Day of Concern about Young People and Gun Violence and the Speak Up program will be observed in schools throughout the country this week which is safe schools week. The STUDENT PLEDGE AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE encourages young people to take a proactive stance in reducing gun violence and SPEAK UP is a hotline for students to anonymously report weapon-related threats at school. The SPEAK UP Campaign empowers and encourages youth to speak up about school violence through the 866-SPEAK-UP hotline

The Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence and the Victims Forum will present a program that will inform students of the realities and risks of guns and give students the chance to sign a voluntary promise that they will: never carry a gun to school, never resolve a dispute with a gun, use their influence with their friends to keep them from resolving disputes with a gun, and be prepared to help their friends by reporting weapon related threats to the hotline.

www.pledge.org and www.paxusa.org/speakup