The Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, passed in 2005, provides protection for gun manufacturers and dealers from lawsuits over illegal use of their products.
But some in Congress want to change that.
Democrats in both the House and Senate banded together Tuesday to introduce the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, which would repeal the 2005 law and open the floodgates to lawsuits from grieving family members looking for someone to blame when their loved ones are killed in gun violence.
And, we should add, from the lawyers who will profit from such suits.
Right now, gun makers and dealers can be sued for faulty product design or illegal activities, such as sales to someone not allowed to own a gun under the law.
But this is different. If passed it would, as the NRA has said before, be like "suing Ford when a drunk driver runs over a pedestrian."
We couldn't agree more.
This isn't the first time Democrats have tried this. It's the kind of legislation that appeals to part of the public in the wake of school and workplace shootings.
But it's also the definition of injustice. There is already a path for civil action to address wrongdoing in the firearms industry. There should be no liability for things manufacturers and dealers cannot control-such as the unpredictable actions of sick individuals.
There is a chance the legislation could pass in the House, which the Democrats control. It stands little chance in the Senate, where Republicans hold sway.
And that's a good thing.