Dallas (December 8, 1999) — H. Sterling Burnett, senior policy analyst for the National Center for Policy Analysis, is available to discuss reports that the White House is helping prepare a class-action suit against gun makers, alleging that guns and how they are marketed have contributed to violence in public housing projects.
The lawsuit on behalf of some or all of the nation's 3,100 local housing authorities would be patterned on suits filed against the industry by 29 cities and counties.
As one of the nation's leading experts on gun litigation issues, Burnett can provide important insight and analysis on the legitimacy of the possible suit and whether or not the administration is actually just using this litigation as political extortion to get manufacturers to the bargaining table.
WHO: H. Sterling Burnett, NCPA Senior Policy Analyst
WHAT: Litigation Against Gun Manufacturers
WHEN: Available Immediately
Earlier this year, Burnett authored a study for the NCPA entitled "Suing Gun Manufacturers: Hazardous to Our Health," which noted that citizens use guns in self-defense as many as 2.5 million times annually (in the vast majority of cases, merely showing the firearm prevents the crime). That far exceeds the number of crimes committed with firearms each year, providing cities with a net social benefit from gun use. Accordingly, Burnett calculates that guns save U.S. citizens between $1 billion and $38 billion annually.