Louisiana Could Make Victim of Gun Theft Responsible For Violence

Before I begin my rant, please understand that I really don't feel alone in my opinion on this.

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I conducted an informal poll of employees here at the radio station and a whopping one hundred percent were against a current bill that was proposed earlier this week by State Senator Gary Carter of New Orleans.

In an effort to avoid any confusion, here's exactly what the proposed Senate Bill 216 looks like:

Section 1. Civil Code Article 2315.12 is hereby enacted to read as follows:  Art. 2315.12. Liability for damages caused by stolen firearm; vehicle; felony.  The owner of a firearm which is stolen from an unlocked vehicle is liable  for damages caused by the firearm, if the firearm is subsequently used in the commission of a felony

Take a second to really read that so that you understand exactly what's before Louisiana Legislators presently.

What this Senator is proposing is that if a gun is "STOLEN" from an unlocked vehicle, then the owner of the firearm would be held "LIABLE" for damages caused by the actions of the thief.

You might recall that back in 2021, this same idea was proposed as a new law by Shreveport City Councilman John Nickelson but never really saw the light of day.

Are you kidding me?  To quote one of our employees, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of!"

Promoting Safe Gun Ownership Is Good, But This Isn't How To Do It

While I completely understand and appreciate the intent of the legislation to promote responsible gun ownership, this could very well be the most irresponsible legislation I have ever seen.

In one instance, a responsible gun owner who carries a firearm in his truck for protection could have completely locked his vehicle when he arrived at home after his son's baseball game.  Later that evening, while the gun owner is fast asleep, his son remembers that he left his baseball glove in Dad's truck.  He tells Mom and she sends him out to Dad's truck to get the glove.  The young boy then accidentally forgets to lock the truck again after retrieving his glove.  Soon afterwards, a meth head looking for a quick buck, finds the gun inside an unlocked truck and shoots a convenience store employee while committing an armed robbery.  Dad, through no fault of his own, is now held liable for this felon's actions.

It would appear that with this legislation, we are punishing the victim for the actions of the criminal.  "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of."