July, 2012.
The United Nations Small Arms Treaty is intended to control the illicit international trade of guns to keep them out of the hands of human rights abusers. It would have no affect on domestic arms laws in the United States. The only people who would be affected by this oversight would be the abusers and the gun industry who sells to them and their middlemen. Naturally, representing the gun manufacturers, the NRA came out against it and engaged in a campaign of fearmongering. Said Chris Cox, a top lobbyist for the NRA:
But according to Cox's theory "the world's socialist, tyrannical and dictatorial regimes" will use the treaty to "implement international gun registration requirements, bans on commonly owned firearms, tracking and registration of ammunition purchases, and create a new U.N. gun control bureaucracy" thus fulfilling "President Barack Obama's vision for America."
Of course, this conspiracy has no grounding in reality. From the article (italics added):
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also said that treaty is "opportunity to promote the same high standards for the entire international community that the United States and other responsible arms exporters already have in place to ensure that weaponry is transferred for legitimate purposes."
A senior policy advisor to the humanitarian organization Oxfam America has also pushed back against claims that the treaty has the nefarious purpose of interfering with domestic law:
"No government is discussing a treaty that would ever impact the right to bear arms, nor require regulation of domestic sales of arms," said Scott Stedjan, a senior policy adviser at the relief group Oxfam America. "This is totally about international transfer of arms so that they don't go to human rights abusers."
But pro-gun extremists don't pay attention to facts. Instead, they ran with the distortions from the NRA. From one extremist blog, which took Cox's assertions and stretched them even further:
It is expected that the Washington Gun-Grabbers will package the treaty as legislation to assist in the fight against “terrorism,” “insurgency” and “international crime syndicates.” But the truth is this: The U.N.’s Small Arms Treaty is nothing more than a massive, GLOBAL gun control scheme.
American organizations supporting the Second Amendment have warned that the U.N.’s Small Arms Treaty would almost certainly FORCE national governments to:make gun licensing requirements far tougher than they are now, which would force law-abiding citizens to have to trudge through even more bureaucratic red tape just to legally own a gun;
It would also give the UN the power to CONFISCATE and DESTROY ALL “unauthorized” civilian firearms. Of course, all firearms owned by the government will be excluded.
The treaty would BAN the trade, sale, and private ownership of ALL semi-automatic weapons.
There will be an INTERNATIONAL gun registry created. Once they know who has the guns -- and where the guns are -- we can expect full-scale gun CONFISCATION.
American organizations supporting the Second Amendment have warned that the U.N.’s Small Arms Treaty would almost certainly FORCE national governments to:make gun licensing requirements far tougher than they are now, which would force law-abiding citizens to have to trudge through even more bureaucratic red tape just to legally own a gun;
It would also give the UN the power to CONFISCATE and DESTROY ALL “unauthorized” civilian firearms. Of course, all firearms owned by the government will be excluded.
The treaty would BAN the trade, sale, and private ownership of ALL semi-automatic weapons.
There will be an INTERNATIONAL gun registry created. Once they know who has the guns -- and where the guns are -- we can expect full-scale gun CONFISCATION.
Conservative politicians, such as Rand Paul, have propagated this conspiracy theory for political gain.
Just another wacko pro-gun conspiracy theory!
UPDATE (5/31/13): The Obama administration has said they will be signing the treaty. Of course, this has only increased the NRA's conspiracy theory claims.
Just another wacko pro-gun conspiracy theory!
UPDATE (5/31/13): The Obama administration has said they will be signing the treaty. Of course, this has only increased the NRA's conspiracy theory claims.
