UN Arms Trade Treaty Calls for Disarmament of Persons 55 and Older

Guns.Com ^ | Apr. 1, 2013 | S.H. Blannelberry

[EXCH54FE]

Individuals 55 and older would lose their right to keep and bear arms under a provision that’s expected to be included as part of a comprehensive United Nations Global Arms Trade Treaty.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke about the impetus behind the controversial measure at press conference over the weekend in New York City, the site of the final negotiations between the 193 Member States.

“Regulating the international transfers of both weapons and ammunition is a key component of a robust arms trade treaty, as is limiting civilian access to small arms and munitions,” said Ban Ki-moon.

“There’s an emerging consensus that certain groups should be restricted from possessing conventional arms, certainly those who fuel conflict, arm criminals or violations of international humanitarian or human rights law are at the top of the list,” Ban Ki-moon continued.

“But also, the international community believes segments of the population that present a danger to themselves and others, chiefly individuals deemed or adjudicated mentally defective and persons with attenuating cerebral faculties, should be added to that list.”

“Simply put, the UN believes guns don’t belong in the hands of the elderly,” said H. Michael Chase, an attorney for the human rights watchdog group.

“Pools of research show that a significant majority of gun-related suicides, accidental shootings, non-fatal negligent discharges are perpetrated by persons 55 and over,” Chase said.

“Along with the mentally ill, preventing those who are advancing in age from gaining easy access to firearms is a common sense way to save lives,” concluded Chase.

Dr. Michael Betti from the John Hopkins Center for Public Health Preparedness embraced the UN’s call to disarm senior citizens.

[Graybeard58]

This doesn’t even rate a reply but here I am replying anyway.

[2ndDivisionVet]

“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?... The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt! If...if...We didn't love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation.... We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.”

― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

[LibLieSlayer]

**** the un... Molan Labe... bring body bags!

LLS

[paint_your_wagon]

Pol Pot’s army was made up of youngsters. Those kiddos excercised great judgement when using their arms. /S

[rktman]

Why drag anybody? The asshats picked the wrong targets on 9/11. They don’t realize that the un is a bigger threat to the freedom of the world (not that radical islamists care about freedom) than the US will ever be. NOW they’re pissin’ me off. Who (rhetorical) gives a crap what spankee da moon has to say? He lives in the lap of luxury with armed security. No worries for him eh? Well, guess what spankee. Most of us are our own security so, no you can’t have my weapons. That is if I had/have any.

[KrisKrinkle]

If those over 55 aren’t fit to have firearms, then they aren’t fit to have positions in government.

[sergeantdave]

Those 55 and older should be given land mines, bouncing Bettys and claymores. Older folks have the time, patience and experience to skillfully plant things and engage in complex home remodeling.

[Sloth]

You don't think this sounds like a joke?

"“The optimal self-defense posture for seniors would include such items as a rape whistle or high-decibel air horn, quick-strike road flares, an electronic medical alert system, a cellular telephone with a large display, morphine injections, neon or glow-in-the-dark armbands, a mesh vest, a pith helmet with flashing headgear and a solar-powered radio,” said Dr. Betti."

[PapaBear3625]

Sadly NO.

They cite "Dr. Michael Betti from the John Hopkins Center for Public Health Preparedness". While I can find the Center, I cannot find ANYTHING on a Dr Betti (or Bette) associated with it. My vote is that it's April Fools

[varon]

At 20 I may hesitate to go against an oppressive government, at 60 I may not.

And I, at 74, have selected my targets of opportunity!!!

[illiac]

“...General Ban Ki-moon ...”

Related to the moon beam governor of kalifornia....

[ez]

Yes, Guns.com is pranking you and making up Ban-Ki-Moon quotes. Really?

[Donkey Odious]

I, for one, would like to see the citations for the “pools of research” that form the basis for this absurdity.

I think what they really mean is that they fear the OFF (Old Fart Faction - TM) of the American society - the ones of us who remember what freedom really is and have nothing to lose in coming to its defense.

May I suggest that Mr. Ban Ki-moon take his “treaty” and the rest of the UN and move the whole thing to North Korea and then let the North Koreans foot the bill for running this commie/socialist/facist organization. The vacant UN building in New York could then be turned into low income housing. Think Cobrini Green East.....It would be an improvement over the present tenants.

[deweyfrank]

Where can I buy the pith helmet with flashing headgear? I want one of those.

[from occupied ga]

You left out store spent nuclear fuel at the site, but other than that I agree

[Don Corleone]

The older I get, the less I have to lose. At 20 I may hesitate to go against an oppressive government, at 60 I may not.

At 80 you know damn well I won't!!!

[Renegade]

At 66 I won’t think twice bout killing those bastards.

[panaxanax]

“They can have my guns when I run out of ammo.”

Permission to use the above for my tagline.

[Sloth]

I’ll take the morphine.

[deoetdoctrinae]

Yep, this one has the look of April Fools about it. Nonetheless, for all the other stupid stuff that the UN really does do, I say...

Pith on them.