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UN Gun Grab Enters New And Dangerous Phase
Townhall.com ^ | October 15, 2014 | Bob Barr

Posted on 10/15/2014 5:42:49 AM PDT by Kaslin

Those wild and crazy bureaucrats on the banks of the East River are at it again. The United Nations – a bureaucracy so bloated and byzantine that it makes the United States Senate appear efficient by comparison – is poised to begin tossing legal monkey wrenches into international firearms transactions; and indirectly affecting firearms policies in the United States.

This new phase in international gun control began September 25th when the 50th country ratified the infamous Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that was adopted formally by the United Nations a year and a half ago (and signed by our own Secretary of State Kerry in September 2013). The process itself began more than a decade ago – in the summer of 2001 – when the UN began formally debating a “Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.”

Since the UN officially launched that piously-named, multi-year and costly “programme” shortly before the world was turned upside on September 11, 2001, the international anti-gun cartel led by the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico and other “allies” of the United States, have waited patiently for this day. With the ratification by the governments of at least 50 supporting nations, the deeply anti-Second Amendment ATT now will be subject to implementing conferences and actions with very real consequences.

Those of us in this country who understand and support the concept of “the right to keep and bear arms,” might defer any concern because the Senate has not and likely will not “advise and consent” to the ratification of this thoroughly rotten document. Problem is, the mere fact that John Kerry lent his John Hancock to the ATT makes the United States a “signatory” to it, and is cause for real concern.

The problem is two-fold.

First, virtually all of the ATT-ratifying countries (a number that already has grown to 53, and which will continue to increase as more countries succumb to the siren song of “security through gun control”) engage in trade with the United States; many receive military assistance from us and purchase armaments. Others are countries in which American hunters travel for their sport. Still, other countries in this group might at some point serve as a base in which individuals or groups hostile to the United States hide, and against which we might legitimately seek to take action. Our options in all these circumstances might be severely limited if the ratifying countries comply fully with the myriad terms of the ATT.

American firearms and ammunition manufacturers could in many instances be barred from exporting to, or importing from such countries. American hunters might no longer be able to bring firearms into those countries. And, future administrations might find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to provide defensive armaments to freedom fighters with such countries.

Secondly, because John Kerry signed the treaty on behalf of the United States, according to its terms we are obligated not to “act contrary to” its terms and its referenced and underlying documents. These foundational materials include some of the most blatantly anti-Second Amendment screeds available. Those provisions include numerous detailed gun control measures, including a mandate that all civilian-owned firearms be registered with the national government, severe restrictions on who could possess firearms and what types, and many other deeply anti-freedom restrictions.

The danger is obvious. An anti-Second Amendment administration, such as the current one led by President Barack Obama, could cite such interpretation of the ATT as a pretext for quietly ordering various gun control measures to be undertaken by agencies under its control (such as the State Department and ATF). We all are painfully familiar with the Obama Administration’s penchant for taking substantive actions without benefit of, or in actual contravention to, lawful authority. In its tortured view of executive power, citing an international treaty such as the Arms trade Treaty as justification for limiting Second Amendment rights would be easy.

Notwithstanding the fact that a majority of Senators already are on record committing that they would never vote to ratify the ATT, they and their colleagues in the House of Representatives must take proactive steps to ensure that this Administration – and any future administration – be stopped from implementing any provisions of or supported by the ATT. Our congressional committees must be far more vigilant than they have in the past to monitor ATF, the State Department, and all other federal agencies to ensure they do not take any steps through regulations or other means to implement or enforce any provisions lurking in the ATT. Failure to do so runs the very real risk of surrendering many aspects of our precious Second Amendment-guaranteed rights to a cadre of faceless bureaucrats at the United Nations and in far-flung capital cities around the globe.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: armstradetreaty; banglist; johnwhowasinnamkerry; uselessnarions
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1 posted on 10/15/2014 5:42:49 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

The UN, a shell of its former self.


2 posted on 10/15/2014 5:50:00 AM PDT by Biggirl
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To: Kaslin

Hint: This country is governed by the consent of the people. That consent may be withdrawn at any time esp when the govt itself violates the contract between it and the people. Our politicians could be right on the cusp of getting an object lesson on what the 2nd Amendment is really about.


3 posted on 10/15/2014 5:50:09 AM PDT by 556x45
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To: Kaslin

These morons can’t keep Obola from crossing borders but they think they can keep firearms from doing so?


4 posted on 10/15/2014 5:52:15 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Kaslin

What Kerry signed is irrelevant unless ratified by the Senate. The President may form and negotiate, but the treaty must be advised and consented to by a two-thirds vote in the Senate and even if two-thirds did consent, treaties cannot override the first eight amendments in the Bill of Rights or the Constitution’s other specific exceptions to federal authority. Those provisions were adopted to deny the federal government authority it otherwise might have. A treaty cannot override those limits.


5 posted on 10/15/2014 5:59:02 AM PDT by maddog55
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To: 556x45
Hint: This country is governed by the consent of the people.

But a significant fraction of the morons in this country approve of the Democrat's anti-gun, anti-freedom, plunder and squander policies.

6 posted on 10/15/2014 5:59:47 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: Kaslin
wine and brie, yes...guns, aucun!


7 posted on 10/15/2014 6:01:01 AM PDT by JPG ("So sue me". OK, we will.)
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To: Kaslin

U.S. OUT OF U.N.; U.N. OUT OF U.S., NOW!

Send them packing to Paris, Brussels or Beijing, without one more penny of funding from us.


8 posted on 10/15/2014 6:13:50 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: Biggirl

John Kerry,

he served in Viet Nam,,,

or something.


9 posted on 10/15/2014 6:18:02 AM PDT by Big Red Badger ( - William Diamonds Drum - can You Hear it G man?)
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To: from occupied ga

Yup, but whats your point?


10 posted on 10/15/2014 6:19:17 AM PDT by 556x45
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To: Kaslin
For the record:

G E T   U S   O U T    O F   U N
G E T   U N   O U T    O F   U S

11 posted on 10/15/2014 6:19:49 AM PDT by upchuck (It's a shame nobama truly doesn't care about any of this. Our country, our future, he doesn't care.)
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To: 556x45
Point is that the enemies aren't just the politicians, but our fellow americans, and that consent of the governed applies to these government worshipers as well as freedom lovers.
12 posted on 10/15/2014 6:27:51 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: from occupied ga

Absolutely, nothing noteworthy about that. Its just the reality of the gig. There will be collaborators and informants, always have been, always will be.


13 posted on 10/15/2014 6:32:40 AM PDT by 556x45
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To: wastoute

LOL, ya, its delusional isn’t it. I suspect though they’ll put much more effort into gun control than border control. Then again they’ll be up against a truly motivated bunch. I suspect its not going to be so easy as they image. :)


14 posted on 10/15/2014 6:34:34 AM PDT by 556x45
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How many of your guns are of domestic manufacture?
Not much need to grab guns if they can break the supply chain, preventing repair & replacement & new purchases.


15 posted on 10/15/2014 6:35:15 AM PDT by ctdonath2 (You know what, just do it.)
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To: 556x45
Our politicians could be right on the cusp of getting an object lesson on what the 2nd Amendment is really about.

Well unless you plan on giving about 51% of your fellow americans the same object lesson this isn't likely to happen. Not that they don't deserve it, it just seems to be extremely unlikely.

16 posted on 10/15/2014 6:35:48 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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bookmark


17 posted on 10/15/2014 6:36:26 AM PDT by freds6girlies (many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Mt. 19:30. R.I.P. G & J)
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To: from occupied ga

Where did you come up w/ the 51% stat? At any rate sounds to me like you’ve already given up. Enjoy the chains.


18 posted on 10/15/2014 6:39:27 AM PDT by 556x45
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To: 556x45
Where did you come up w/ the 51% stat?

Percentage 0bama voters

Enjoy the chains.

I'm bored with keyboard blowhards talking big about "object lesson on what the 2nd Amendment is really about" when they will never have the moral courage to administer said lesson. I freely admit that I'm unlikely to pick up my rifle and start popping politicians and people with 0bama stickers on theri cars, and people with Democratic Candidate yard signs etc.

19 posted on 10/15/2014 6:46:40 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: from occupied ga

51% then isnt the same as now. I admit plenty of people either dont have the guts (like yourself) to stand up to an out of control govt or agree in full/part w/ what theyre doing even tho wrong.

First, Im not a blowhard. Second no one said anything about popping the pols or anyone else. Third, youre a defeatist coward. It must be an unhappy place...to know whats right and refuse to do it. How do you live w/ yourself? Perhaps at some future time youll pluck up the courage to do better? I sure hope so...


20 posted on 10/15/2014 6:51:51 AM PDT by 556x45
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