From yesterday’s New York Times, via writer Steven Yaccino:
Illinois: Online Gun Site Is Sued
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against a firearm classifieds Web site on Wednesday, apparently the first time legal action was taken against online gun sales. The lawsuit, in Chicago against Armslist.com, contends that the Web site facilitated the illegal purchase of a handgun used to kill Jitka Vesel in Illinois last year. “It should be harder to buy a semiautomatic handgun that a used sofa on Craigslist,” said Jonathan E. Lowy, director of the legal action project at the Brady Center. Richard A. Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, called the lawsuit “ridiculous” because the site requires users to agree not to use its listings for unlawful purposes.
I bolded that last sentence because the only thing “ridiculous” about this piece is Pearson’s description of what’s “ridiculous.” I mean, the site requires users to agree not to kill people with the guns it buys on the site? No, let me amend that: buys on the site???????
OK, enough. The Brady Center is a terrific organization and I love this lawsuit. Innovative and, dare I say, a shot across the bow of the NRA boat.