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Mrs. Hawkins' letter said:

From a slain cop's mom

Re: "Senate approves bill shielding gun makers – Measure bans suits by crime victims; critics say it caters to NRA," Saturday news story.

According to this story, "the Senate voted Friday to shield firearms manufacturers, dealers and importers from lawsuits brought by victims of gun crimes ... "

The U.S. Senate had the ability to protect police officers with amendments to this bill. One would have banned "cop killer" bullets. Another would have preserved the right of police officers injured by guns or the families of officers killed by guns to sue if the gun dealer acted negligently. Sadly, both failed. Neither of our Texas senators voted for them.

My son, police officer Aubrey Hawkins, died in the line of duty on Christmas Eve 2000. He was gunned down by the Texas Seven, escapees from a maximum-security prison in South Texas. I am truly saddened that our senators turned their backs on measures to protect the police officers who put their lives on the line every day.

Jayne Hawkins, Dallas

My reply read:

Revisiting gun liability

Re: "From a slain cop's mom," by Jayne Hawkins, Tuesday Letters.

While I am sorry for Mrs. Hawkins' loss, and mourn for another police officer struck down by a criminal committing a crime, I don't see how either of the amendments she cited would have saved her son.

The so-called "cop killer bullet" amendment was terribly flawed; it would have outlawed the venerable old .30-30, the deer rifle cartridge that many hunters have used for more than a century.

And the amendment to allow people to sue dealers for negligence was redundant. The proposed law does not remove that right, all it does is shield manufacturers and dealers from junk lawsuits where the plaintiffs claim that the manufacturer and dealer somehow bear responsibility for a criminal's acts.

Would Mrs. Hawkins have us sue Ford or GM the next time a drunk on I-35 runs down a cop assisting a motorist with one of their products? It's the same concept.

Sadly, flawed legislation won't fix anything.

Jim Longley, Allen


The whole text of my reply is below, but they edited it.


While I am sorry for Mrs. Hawkins' loss, and mourn for
another police officer struck down by a criminal
committing a crime, I don't see how either of the
amendments she uses her son's death to justify would
have saved him.

The so called "cop killer bullet" amendment was
terribly flawed, it would have outlawed the venerable
old .30-30, the deer rifle cartridge that many hunters
have used for more than a century, because it could
penetrate a vest that was never designed to stop it.

Sen. Kennedy even implied that the .30-30 was "armor
piercing" during the debate, leading one to ask, once
again, why is he still in the Senate, after all, his
cars have killed more people than my guns.

And the amendment to allow people to sue dealers for
negligence was redundant, the proposed law does not
remove that RIGHT from people, all it does is shield
manufacturers and dealers from junk lawsuits where the
plaintiffs claim that the manufacturer and dealer
somehow bore responsibility when a criminal misused
their product while committing a crime.

Would Mrs. Hawkins has us sue Ford or GM the next time
a drunk on I-35 runs down a cop assisting a motorist
with one of their products? It's the same concept.

I am sorry for your loss, but flawed legislation won't
fix anything.

We had a recent situation right here in the Dallas area where a cop assisting someone was hit by a drunk and killed, but I couldn't remember the name. Of course, as serendipity would have it, there was an article in the papaer today about that cop becaue the guy who killed him was just convicted. What a difference a day makes.

If anyone saw the letter in Tuesday's edition, by Aubrey Hawkins' mother, decrying the failed amendments to the recent bill in the Senate. The DMN published my answer this morning.

Here's the link to Mrs. Hawkins' letter. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 0c278.html

And my answer: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 94c5f.html