Words cannot describe

how upset I am over this.

Two survivors and the families of six slain victims of the 2002 sniper shootings have reached a $2.5 million settlement with the manufacturer of the Bushmaster rifle used during the attacks and the gun shop from which it had been stolen.

Bushmaster did nothing wrong. They manufactured and sold a legal product that was not defective, not to mention one of the most heavily regulated products of all.

The victims' attorneys said yesterday that it was the first time a gunmaker has paid damages for crimes committed with its weapons. The manufacturer, Bushmaster Firearms Inc. of Windham, Maine, "paid damages for negligence leading to the criminal use of a gun," said the victims' co-counsel, Dennis Henigan.

"That's why it's a breakthrough of lasting significance," said Henigan, who also is legal director of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which is based in the District.

The Brady Campaign (formerly known as Handgun Control, Inc.) has as its ultimate goal nothing less than the complete disarmament of the US citizenry, which would leave us all at the mercy of armed criminals and, more importantly, our government should it turn tyrannical. This is just one front in their war on our rights. They work to promote legislation that would result in registration and, ultimately, confiscation. They also, as shown in this case, are working to bankrupt the firearms industry.

I'm not convinced that Bull's Eye Shooter Supply in Tacoma, where the rifle used by the DC snipers was stolen from, is entirely blameless. They did not keep proper records, didn't notice that the Bushmaster had been stolen, and didn't properly account for several other guns. However, as the article states:

(Seattle lawyer David L.) Martin said poor paperwork and accounting within the store made it seem that many more guns were missing than actually were. "We have accounted for most if not all of the weapons," he said.

The main concern is that it sets a precedent. A company that has absolutely no culpability whatsoever has paid money to victims of criminals who bear complete responsibility for their own actions. This is wrong. It is, quite simply, a travesty of justice.