Joe Wilson: “if there were previously any doubt about the importance of a vibrant and vigorous firearms industry in the United…”

“if there were previously any doubt about the importance of a vibrant and vigorous firearms industry in the United States, that doubt must surely have dissipated in the months since Sept. 11, 2001. Since that fateful day, American military personnel have been engaged in operations overseas, against those who seek and plot our destruction. At this moment, a quarter of a million of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Thousands of reservists are mobilized, not only to support operations in Iraq, but also to support Operation Enduring Freedom--maintaining the watch against acts of terrorism on American soil. Thousands of Coast Guardsmen are protecting our coastlines. Tens of thousands of federal, state, and local law enforcement and security personnel are guarding our communities and our public facilities And millions of private citizens are doing what they always have done--protecting themselves, their families, and their neighborhoods, One thing these Americans share in common is the need for firearms. Another thing in common is the firearms that they use. In many instances, our military, law enforcement, security personnel, and private citizens use firearms made by the same manufacturers. Unfortunately, frivolous lawsuits that have been filed against firearms manufacturers, with the sole intent of driving them out of business.…”