The “Right To Bear Arms” has been the right of the American people since the United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. The year 2011 has seen many shootings in various states, with officials in those states calling for stricter gun laws. Would this stop the shootings and end the violence against innocent people? I tend to think not.
In the past year, the Obama Administration has continued its’ efforts to support the United Nations ” Small Arms Treaty” or better known as the “International Arms Control Treaty”. If passed by the U.N. and ratified by the United States Senate, the “Small Arms Treaty” would almost certainly force the United States to:
- Enact tougher licensing requirements
- Confiscate and destroy all “unauthorized” civilian firearms
- Create an international gun registry
Using the theory that if no one has firearms the population will be safe from harm, this”treaty” flies in the face of the second admendment to the U.S. Constitution.
In New York this past summer there were several shootings in which people were killed including several children. In September, in the wake of these shootings, Mayor Bloomberg has called for more stringent federal control. The question here is: will more laws and tighter control protect the nation?
Proponents of the Small Arms Treaty are saying the treaty will not infringe on the rights of Americans to own guns or restrict their owning different types of guns. However, the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) has the wording to track and record all gun sales and ownership in the United States. The wording of the documents calls for the ” record keeping and firearms tracking from production to desruction”. If an American citizen purchased a firearm and it was tracked from the date of the purchase to its destruction, I would call that gun registration by a different name.
We have not heard much about gun control lately but I would warn you the United Nations is planning on its Arms Trade Treaty being finalized in 2012. Kansas Sen. Jerry Morgan (R) has written a letter stating (that) the Second Admendment rights of American citizens must not be infringed upon by the United Nations and so far 57 senators have said they would vote against the treaty. I’m bringing this to your attention so you can make sure your senator is one of them.
As the economy continues to go down hill there will be more home invasions. Homeowners should have the right to protect themselves and their property. The Second Admendment is the right of every American and if we are not careful it could slide away. I have urged you before to call your senators and representatives on gun legislation and I am going to ask you to call again just to keep the issue alive in their minds.
Deer season is upon us and these laws will also affect those men and women who enjoy a good hunt. Not everyone gets their deer but they enjoy walking around the woods and telling everyone about the “one that got away”.
Whether you are for or against hunting, taking away the Second Amendment is not the way to go. Our constitution has worked well for over 250 years and has been amended 27 times. The first 10 amendments are The Bill of Rights and this document is the second oldest constitution still in operation anywhere in the world. Call your representatives today and tell them to stand firm of the Second Admendment. An Arms Trade Treaty that does not protect ownership of civilian firearms must fail in the senate. Our firearm freedoms should not be negotiable.
Written by Bob Miller, publisher of The Vermont Journal and The Shopper