A Quarter-Century Struggle Closes

One of the stories of Red America is how our cities leverage their wealth and power to strive against our way of life. Indiana in the 1980s was one of the most friendly states for gun rights; but since 1999, the city of Gary, Indiana has been trying to sue gun manufacturers out of existence. That fight just ended. 

After a tumultuous 26-year journey through Indiana’s court system, the city of Gary’s historic lawsuit against the country’s largest gun manufacturers has come to an anticlimactic close. 

On May 21, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that it would not hear an appeal from Gary, whose lawyers had argued that a state law aimed at ending the lawsuit was unconstitutional. The ruling means the city’s case is effectively over, with no opportunity for appeal.

“What happened here should shock and terrify anyone wanting to access the courts to seek accountability,” said Kris Brown, president of the gun violence prevention group Brady[.]

You can see the same thing happening across the country; every Austin, Texas or Asheville, North Carolina is working as hard as it can to try to force its views on the rural parts of the state. They bring in NGOs with deep pockets and lots of lawyers, and try to sue their way to victories they couldn't win through democratic means because the people don't agree with them. It's been the story of politics in Red America for my whole life.