Kurdish community leaders throughout Europe have urged their people to reject violence. But they have also noted the urgent need for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish dilemma. In Turkey, Iraq, and other countries whose borders cut into Kurdistan, governments fear that giving freedom to the Kurds will simply prompt other ethnic groups to demand independence as well. At least nine cities are suing or planning to sue gun manufacturers for the damage caused by handgun violence. The cities want to see changes in the way handguns are made and distributed.
Most states have gun control laws that specify who can buy or use a gun, particularly a handgun.
But the laws are different from state to state, and some states don't enforce gun control laws strictly. Some city governments now claim that gun manufacturers deliberately stock too many guns in cities and states that have loose gun control laws. The cities claim that the gun makers know the oversupply of guns will be bought legally, but resold illegally in areas that have strict gun control laws. Some lawsuits also charge that the gun industry has not equipped guns with proper safety devices. The attack on the gun industry was inspired by the success of similar lawsuits against the tobacco industry.