Concerned with the Obama administration's alleged goal of controlling firearms owned by American civilians coupled with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's support of international law, more than 125 members of the U.S. House of Representatives took pre-emptive action on yesterday.
The lawmakers composed an official letter and sent it to President Barack Obama on Monday. The letter details their strong opposition to the United States being a signatory of the United Nations' proposed arms trade treaty stating that they believe it imposes restrictions on American citizens' Second Amendment gun rights as well as U.S. sovereignty.
"While many within the Obama White House and Democrats on Capitol Hill deny it would impact on Americans' gun ownership rights, the fact is there far too many U.S. judges -- including some on the U.S. Supreme Court -- who believe in imposing international law into their court decisions especially on matters involving the U.S. Constitution," said political strategist and attorney Michael S. Baker.
Baker points to Associate Justice Ruth Ginsberg suggesting that Egyptians model their constitution after South Africa's instead of the U.S. Constitution.
“I would not look to the U.S. Constitution if I were drafting a constitution in the year 2012,” Justice Ginsburg said in an interview aired on the Arab-language broadcast network Al-Hayat TV last January.
“I might look at the constitution of South Africa,” she said. “That was a deliberate attempt to have a fundamental instrument of government that embraced basic human rights, had an independent judiciary.”
"Of course, few American news organizations covered this astounding revelation, but that's par for the course since anyone with half-a-brain knows such a statement would outrage a large segment of the U.S. population," said Baker.
This week, a United Nations legal team is expected to put the finishing touches on its treaty which would regulate international standards for importing and exporting conventional firearms. Proponents claim the treaty would bring much of the rest of the world in line with uniform standards without affecting domestic sales, but groups representing American gun owners remain skeptical.
"Hey, the Obama administration kept telling Americans there were no taxes involved in Obamacare and voila the Supreme Court declares it is a tax after the Obama Solicitor General argued it was a tax," quipped police lieutenant Geoffrey Mulhearn, himself an NRA member.
“The UN's actions to date indicate that the ATT [United Nations Arms Trade Treaty] is likely to pose significant threats to our national security, foreign policy, and economic interests as well as our constitutional rights,” reads the letter, which was authored by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.).
“The U.S. must establish firm red lines for the ATT and state unequivocally that it will oppose the ATT if it infringes on our rights or threatens our ability to defend our interests.”
Specifically, the lawmakers' letter demands that the U.N. treaty exclude small arms and ammunition and recognize an individual right to personal self-defense. The U.S. government already enforces laws regarding weapons sales to foreign nations and regularly prosecutes those who fail to comply with certain sanctions.
"We are a sovereign nation perfectly capable of policing ourselves. We don't need proponents of a 'New World Order' or internationalism to help us. If anything, we're busy policing the wrong people and wrong organizations," said former NYPD detective Sid Franes.
Those in favor of the treaty that small arms are responsible for most civilian deaths in conflicts around the world, and should be covered along with ammunition for the treaty to be of use.
But gun enthusiasts believe their distrust of the current White House is warranted in light of allegations that the Fast and Furious gun-walking scandal was part of the Obama administration's gun control agenda.
The National Rifle Association is at the forefront of the opposition to the U.N. treaty.
“Any international Arms Trade Treaty that in any way, shape or form affects the constitutional rights of American gun owners is unacceptable,” Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement.
“International organizations and foreign governments do not have the right to restrict the fundamental freedoms handed down to us from our Founding Fathers,” he added.
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