Families of Sandy Hook victims announce $73 million settlement with Remington

Families of Sandy Hook victims announce $73 million settlement with Remington

Transcript¹

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to David Wheeler, whose son was killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting, about families settling a lawsuit² against Remington Arms, the company that made the murder weapon.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Nearly a decade after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., nine families achieved a landmark³ legal victory. They've reached a $73 million settlement with the now-bankrupt gun manufacturer Remington Arms. It made the AR-15-style assault rifle the shooter used to kill 20 first-graders and six adults. Attorneys say the company's four insurers will pay the full amount. So is this at least some justice for these families?

Six-year-old Benjamin Wheeler was one of the children killed that day nearly 10 years ago. His father, David Wheeler, is on the line with us now. Thank you for joining us, David.

DAVID WHEELER: Thank you, Leila.

FADEL: David, first, I'm so sorry for your loss. I know it's been 10 years, but I'm sure the grief of a child stolen from you feels no less painful today.

WHEELER: That is largely true, yes. It's a process.

FADEL: I'm so sorry. Is this settlement what you hoped for?

WHEELER: Thank you.

FADEL: Is this justice?

WHEELER: Well, that's a difficult thing to describe. I mean, the whole point of this suit from the very beginning was to try to move the needle in the way the firearms industry operates in this country. They're the only industry that has blanket immunity⁴ that creates these lethal⁵ products and markets them and manufactures them and brings them to the market. And the whole point of this from the beginning was to try to change how that works. And I think we've done it a little bit. And for that, I'm satisfied. Yeah.

FADEL: Let's talk about that. I mean, ultimately, there are federal laws that protect gun-makers, like Remington, from litigation. But you and the other family members were able to sue based on state laws against deceptive⁶ advertising⁷ practices. What do you want people to know about how gun manufacturers operate?

WHEELER: Well, up until today - or yesterday, the gun industry has essentially⁸ been untouchable. And the insurance companies and the banking⁹ industries have been shielded from accountability in that way as well, through this kind of blanket immunity they have through the Protection of Lawful¹⁰ Commerce and Arms Act that was signed in 2005, commonly known as PLCAA. And it just doesn't seem right and it doesn't seem fair that you should be able to manufacture and market the most lethal consumer product we know without any checks and balances on the way you do that. There's a reasonable and a morally acceptable way to market anything. And you have to take into account the circumstances surrounding the product that you create and that you bring to the marketplace. So we're hoping that this will move things in the right direction in terms of this industry being a little bit more responsible about how they make their money and not to prioritize profits over people's lives.

FADEL: You talk about moving in the right direction. In your view, what specifically needs to change? Have some things already changed?

WHEELER: You know, it'll be a little while before we know this concretely. But the right direction for this would be for companies that make these products, as I said, to be more responsible in the way they bring them to market. When you're making the world's most lethal consumer product, it doesn't make sense to try to appeal to the sense of insecurity, or to try to appeal to promised glory or masculinity to some disaffected¹¹, young person. That just doesn't seem right. And I think that kind of approach - it's clear that that kind of approach results in the kind of tragedy that befell my family and has, you know, hurt countless¹² others.

FADEL: This settlement, what message does it send to the gun industry, to lawmakers? What do you hope they'll take away from this?

WHEELER: I hope they'll understand that they need to be careful about how they bring these products to market. And I hope that insurance companies understand that this is no longer just an industry protected by this blanket immunity - and that you can write a policy for them, and you can collect your premiums¹³ with never any thought of any adverse¹⁴ reaction.

FADEL: Were there any moments when you and the other families thought you might go to trial, that you would achieve more by going to trial?

WHEELER: Well, you know, Remington has essentially gone bankrupt twice. So that adds an element of complication in the legal sense that probably couldn't be overcome in terms of trying to get to trial. But, you know, there are pluses and minuses to both, certainly.

FADEL: Your son would be 15 today if this had not happened.

WHEELER: Yeah.

FADEL: Is there any solace¹⁵ in this settlement?

WHEELER: Yes, in the sense that people are talking about this now. And people are thinking about this. And people are paying attention to the way the industry operates. And so in some sense, if this means that industry tactics change, and if it means that the landscape changes for the marketplace for this product, then perhaps there's some solace in knowing or thinking, or hoping, that another family will be spared this kind of tragedy and trauma¹⁶ and loss because another young person doesn't feel it necessary to make themselves feel like more of a man or more effective or make a mark in society by using this in the wrong way.

FADEL: Yeah. I mean, this was ultimately a combat weapon that this - the shooter used at a school.

WHEELER: Yes. It's easily described that way. And people can nitpick and argue about technical specifications¹⁷ about these products that make them different from what's on the battlefield. But when all is said and done, those kinds of discrepancies¹⁸ really are immaterial.

FADEL: This lawsuit is effectively over now. What's next for you and your family?

WHEELER: Well, we just go on, you know, one foot in front of the other.

FADEL: David Wheeler's son was killed in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School 10 years ago. David, thank you so much for being with us.

WHEELER: Thank you for having me, Leila.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

5 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

6 deceptive   

adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• His appearance was deceptive.他的外表带有欺骗性。
• The storyline is deceptively simple.故事情节看似简单，其实不然。

7 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

8 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

9 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

10 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

11 disaffected   

adj.（政治上）不满的，叛离的

参考例句：

• He attracts disaffected voters.他吸引了心怀不满的选民们。
• Environmental issues provided a rallying point for people disaffected with the government.环境问题把对政府不满的人们凝聚了起来。

12 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

13 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

15 solace   

n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和

参考例句：

• They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难，就在宗教中寻求安慰。
• His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈，他便借酒浇愁。

16 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

17 specifications   

n.规格；载明；详述；（产品等的）说明书；说明书( specification的名词复数 )；详细的计划书；载明；详述

参考例句：

• Our work must answer the specifications laid down. 我们的工作应符合所定的规范。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This sketch does not conform with the specifications. 图文不符。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 discrepancies   

n.差异，不符合（之处），不一致（之处）( discrepancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• wide discrepancies in prices quoted for the work 这项工作的报价出入很大
• When both versions of the story were collated,major discrepancies were found. 在将这个故事的两个版本对照后，找出了主要的不符之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》