A worker sights an AR-15 rifle during the final production assembly at the Stag Arms company in New Britain, Conn., Wednesday, April 10, 2013. A Connecticut gun-maker announced on Wednesday it intends to leave the state, just six days after passage of restrictive gun control legislation, while another manufacturer, Stag Arms, which employs about 230 workers, says its customers are urging it to “pick up and leave.” (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
In an interview with Bob Barr, former CIA Analyst, Member of Congress, and newly elected NRA president, we asked a tough question: Should America’s gun makers be on the hook for violence in Mexico? The Mexican government sure thinks so—they’re going after U.S. gun manufacturers for $10 billion, claiming the firearms industry has fueled cartel bloodshed across the border. Mexico argues that these companies know their guns are flowing into cartel hands and profiting from the demand, estimating that a whopping 70% of trafficked guns come from the United States.
The U.S. Supreme Court just agreed to take on this case, which could set a precedent on whether gun manufacturers are held accountable for crimes committed with their products. It’s a slippery slope—one that could radically redefine who’s responsible for the violence: the makers of the weapons or the criminals pulling the trigger. Bob Barr says this case threatens to twist accountability beyond all logic, especially when drug cartels are terrorizing entire communities while Mexico turns a blind eye to its real problem.
Let’s be clear: Mexico’s legal move to blame U.S. companies doesn’t just shift the blame—it distracts from cartel violence and failed drug policies within its own borders. A federal judge already threw out most of Mexico’s suit, but the door’s still open for appeals. If the Supreme Court sides with Mexico, we could be looking at a floodgate of lawsuits against gun makers, not just here but globally.
Get the facts straight on this high-stakes legal battle, here:
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