Liability for gun makers

With more than 300 million firearms in Americans’ hands, it does no good any more to rant and rave about gun control. The National Rifle Association owns enough members of Congress to block meaningful measures and is no doubt working to block any new legislation in response to the slaughter of 19 children in Uvalde, Texas. The gun lobby succeeds because it knows Americans have a ridiculously short attention span.

Golden State Warriors basketball coach Steve Kerr refused to let the NRA win at the game of distraction. He used an NBA playoff news conference to focus loudly on the Uvalde slaughter. He blamed Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell among 50 senators ‘‘who refuse to vote’’ on a House-passed background check bill.

One thing that gets gun manufacturers’ attention is the single successful productliability lawsuit, brought by families of the Sandy Hook victims against gun maker Remington, which yielded a $74 million settlement.

If Republicans won’t impose better background checks, why not at least consider repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005? Tobacco companies were brought to their knees once billion-dollar lawsuits forced them to account for the death their products wrought.