The National Rifle Association, which is battling a raft of gun control measures on Capitol Hill, also has an international fight on its hand as it gears up to oppose a U.N. treaty designed to restrict the flow of arms to conflict zones.
Negotiations open Monday in New York on the Arms Trade Treaty, which would require countries to determine whether weapons they sell would be used to commit serious human rights violations, terrorism or transnational organized crime.
The gun lobby fears that the treaty would be used to regulate civilian weapons. Human rights activists counter that it would reduce the trafficking of weapons, including small arms such as the ubiquitous AK-47 assault rifle, to outlaw regimes and rebel groups engaged in atrocities against civilian populations.
“This treaty is a common-sense alignment of the interests of governments, law-abiding citizens and individuals all over the world, who deserve the right to live free from harm,” said Michelle Ringuette, chief of campaigns and programs at Amnesty International USA. “Any step toward restraining the illicit sale and transfer of weapons used to commit horrific crimes is a good move forward, and the world could use a lot more steps in the direction of ending human rights abuses.”
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The NRA Opposes the UN Treaty on Small Arms - Naturally
Dallas News reports
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Whenever I see the phrase "common sense" in a discussion, what it says to me is here is the part of the argument where facts and logic are lacking. It's also often the part where the person is telling me what rights I'll have to sacrifice to please the do-gooders.
ReplyDeleteCommon sense tells us that China and Russia will follow their previous patterns of behavior and sign these treaties with little or no intention of following them.
ReplyDeleteThe third world dictators that Amnesty is trying to stop will still be able to get their arms from these countries. The people who won't get guns will be freedom fighters fighting these dictators, and those of us here who have been buying and collecting old, surplus guns and ammo that we are able to use to stay in practice on a budget.
First of all, they are making it seem like “human rights activist” is something counter to the NRA- when the NRA is fighting for human rights. Second, would this treaty also reduce trafficking to rebel groups who are fighting a government who is engaged in atrocities against civilian populations (Syria)?
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