United Nations pushing "Arms Trade Treaty"

[DIAMOND D]

does that mean that you are not American?  Or, were your ancestors American Indians?

Well American Indians' ancestors were from Asia, so they don't count either.... 

[Mr VJP]

Tester leads Senate in warning Obama: Arms treaty must not infringe on gun rights    Senators outline stern conditions for U.N. Arms Trade Treaty proposal

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

 

    (U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester today led a group of U.S. Senators in calling on President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to guarantee the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans while negotiating the United Nations’ Arms Trade Treaty.

The warning letter, written by Tester and signed by a dozen colleagues including Senator Max Baucus, outlines in specific terms that the arms trade treaty must not “in any way regulate the domestic manufacture, possession, or sales of firearms or ammunition” in the U.S.

Tester’s letter also warns that the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty: 

• Must guarantee that joining countries “will maintain the exclusive authority to regulate arms within their own borders,” a condition the senators say is “non-negotiable.”

• Must not include “small arms, light weapons, ammunition or related materials that would make the Treaty overly broad and virtually unenforceable.”

• Must not establish “any sort of international gun registry that could impede on the privacy rights of law-abiding gun owners.”

“The bottom line is this: No international treaty is more important than the Constitutional rights guaranteed to all law-abiding Americans,” said Tester, chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and a longtime champion of gun rights. “I want the Obama Administration to understand loud and clear that no foreign treaty will dictate America’s gun rights, or the privacy of the firearms and ammo we own. I'm leading this charge on behalf of millions of law-abiding Americans who couldn’t agree more and I appreciate the NRA’s leadership in making sure our message is heard loud and clear.”

The NRA today praised Tester’s leadership.

“As we have for nearly two decades, the NRA will fight to stop any United Nations treaty that infringes on the constitutional rights of American gun owners,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director, NRA Institute for Legislative Action. “This effort sends a clear message to the international bureaucrats who want to eliminate our fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms. Clearly, a U.N. Arms Trade Treaty that includes civilian arms within its scope is not supported by the American people or a bi-partisan majority of the U.S. Senate. We are grateful for Sen. Tester’s leadership on this critical issue.”

"I've always been a staunch defender of our right to bear arms, because the 2nd Amendment is part of who we are as Americans and Montanans,” Baucus said. “It's crucial that any treaty negotiated doesn't impede on law-abiding Montanans' gun rights, and I'll continue making sure the administration hears that message, loud and clear."

The U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which must be ratified by the Senate, aims to improve regulation of the international trade of conventional weapons and set standards to ensure that arms are only transferred for appropriate use. Tester and Baucus say such regulations should “ensure these weapons do not end up in the hands of human rights abusers, terrorist groups, insurgents or organized criminal enterprises.”

Tester’s letter notes that the United States has adopted a rigorous system of arms export controls that other nations should follow.

Earlier this year, Tester and Baucus introduced a bipartisan bill to prohibit the Department of Justice from tracking and cataloguing purchases of multiple rifles and shotguns. Text of the legislation can be viewed HERE.

Text of the letter follows and is also available HERE.

July 26, 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama

President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

The Honorable Hillary Clinton

Secretary of State

2201 C Street, NW

Washington, DC 20520

Dear President Obama and Secretary Clinton:

                                                                                 

As staunch defenders of the rights of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms, we write regarding ongoing negotiations of the United Nations’ Arms Trade Treaty, and to express concerns about any provisions that could potentially infringe upon those rights.

We support efforts to better regulate the international trade of conventional weapons, but such efforts must be done in a responsible manner. We should do everything we can to ensure these weapons do not end up in the hands of human rights abusers, terrorist groups, insurgents or organized criminal enterprises. Further, we should not allow the unregulated trade of these weapons to continue fueling conflict and instability in nations around the world. The profound human and economic toll from these conflicts is staggering and the subsequent impact on our nation’s economic and security interests is increasing. The United States has adopted a rigorous system of arms export controls and it is time for other nations to abide by some of those same standards.

For the past few years, negotiations for the Arms Trade Treaty have progressed. As your Administration continues to engage in these negotiations, we strongly urge you to address a number of our concerns. 

First and foremost, the Arms Trade Treaty must not in any way regulate the domestic manufacture, possession or sales of firearms or ammunition. Firearms possession is an individual right guaranteed by the Second Amendment and that cannot be subordinated, directly or indirectly, by any international treaty. We are encouraged that your administration is working to ensure that signatory countries will maintain the exclusive authority to regulate arms within their own borders. That must continue to be non-negotiable. We also oppose any inclusion of small arms, light weapons, ammunition or related materials that would make the Treaty overly broad and virtually unenforceable. Finally, the establishment of any sort of international gun registry that could impede upon the privacy rights of law-abiding gun owners is a non-starter.

As members of the United States Senate, it is our constitutional responsibility to advise and consent on the ratification of the United Nations’ Arms Trade Treaty. Before we could support ratification, we must have assurances that our concerns are adequately addressed and that the Treaty will not in any way impede upon the Constitutional rights of American gun owners. Anything short of this commitment would be unacceptable.

We appreciate your consideration on this issue and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

(s)

Jon Tester, Max Baucus et al

[WNYBuckHunter]

  Nope, I read that as describing a socialist from Kenya. Whats racist about that?    You're an idiot.

Really? I am the one thats an idiot? You are the one that pulled out the race card for no reason. Im pretty sure that you are the one that is actually being racist.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

  Nope, I read that as describing a socialist from Kenya. Whats racist about that?    You're an idiot.

Really? I am the one thats an idiot? You are the one that pulled out the race card for no reason. Im pretty sure that you are the one that is actually being racist.

There you go again WNY....using logic and an thoughout approach...You should know by now that Virgil can't process that.

[WNYBuckHunter]

  Nope, I read that as describing a socialist from Kenya. Whats racist about that?    You're an idiot.

Really? I am the one thats an idiot? You are the one that pulled out the race card for no reason. Im pretty sure that you are the one that is actually being racist.

There you go again WNY....using logic and an thoughout approach...You should know by now that Virgil can't process that.

Sorry, I guess I forgot who I was talking to.  ;D

[virgil]

You guys are both idiots.  And just because two idiots agree with one another doesn't make them any less idiotic.  Denying that the term 'Kenyan socialist' is racist is ridiculous.

[fasteddie]

Keynesian economics (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Loudspeaker.svg/11px-Loudspeaker.svg.png[/img] /ˈkeɪnziən/ kayn-zee-ən; also called Keynesianism and Keynesian theory) is a macroeconomic theory based on the ideas of 20th century English economist John Maynard Keynes.

Keynesian economics argues that private sector decisions sometimes lead to inefficient macroeconomic outcomes and therefore advocates active policy responses by the public sector, including monetary policy actions by the central bank and fiscal policy actions by the government to stabilize output over the business cycle.^[1] The theories forming the basis of Keynesian economics were first presented in The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, published in 1936; the interpretations of Keynes are contentious, and several schools of thought claim his legacy.

Keynesian economics advocates a mixed economy—predominantly private sector, but with a moderate role of government and public sector—and served as the economic model during the later part of the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war economic expansion (1945–1973), though it lost some influence following the stagflation of the 1970s. The advent of the global financial crisis in 2007 has caused a resurgence in Keynesian thought. The former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former President of the United States George W. Bush, President Barack Obama, and other world leaders have used Keynesian economics through government stimulus programs to attempt to assist the economic state of their countries.^[2][3]

[steve863]

Keynesian economics (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Loudspeaker.svg/11px-Loudspeaker.svg.png[/img] /ˈkeɪnziən/ kayn-zee-ən; also called Keynesianism and Keynesian theory) is a macroeconomic theory based on the ideas of 20th century English economist John Maynard Keynes.

Keynesian economics argues that private sector decisions sometimes lead to inefficient macroeconomic outcomes and therefore advocates active policy responses by the public sector, including monetary policy actions by the central bank and fiscal policy actions by the government to stabilize output over the business cycle.^[1] The theories forming the basis of Keynesian economics were first presented in The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, published in 1936; the interpretations of Keynes are contentious, and several schools of thought claim his legacy.

Keynesian economics advocates a mixed economy—predominantly private sector, but with a moderate role of government and public sector—and served as the economic model during the later part of the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war economic expansion (1945–1973), though it lost some influence following the stagflation of the 1970s. The advent of the global financial crisis in 2007 has caused a resurgence in Keynesian thought. The former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former President of the United States George W. Bush, President Barack Obama, and other world leaders have used Keynesian economics through government stimulus programs to attempt to assist the economic state of their countries.^[2][3]

Huh??  What do Keynesian economic theories have to do with someone calling Obama a "Kenyan socialist"?  Maybe I am missing something here or this is somehow supposed to be funny?? 

[virgil]

Steve, I'm wondering the same thing.  Maybe part of the problem is that the guys that are throwing around these terms don't know the difference either. 

[steve863]

I reckon it's sort of like if I told people I was a Mongol.  I think many people (in this country especially) would think I had some sort of birth defect or disorder, before they would realize I was from the country of Mongolia! LOL

[virgil]

My original response the the author who started this thread was in response to his use of the word 'Kenyan' in his description of the President.  Maybe he intended to use the word 'keynsian' instead of Kenyan- not sure.  At this point, I'm wondering if you guys are defending his use of 'Kenyan', thinking that it's the same at 'Keynsian'.  Or, are you defending the term 'Kenyan'.  Either way, at least you all seem to have finally given up on trying to convince each other that he's Muslim.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

My original response the the author who started this thread was in response to his use of the word 'Kenyan' in his description of the President.  Maybe he intended to use the word 'keynsian' instead of Kenyan- not sure.  At this point, I'm wondering if you guys are defending his use of 'Kenyan', thinking that it's the same at 'Keynsian'.  Or, are you defending the term 'Kenyan'.  Either way, at least you all seem to have finally given up on trying to convince each other that he's Muslim.

Oppps...We stand corrected.....Muslim Kenyan Socialist

[virgil]

Culver, you occasionally write thoughtful and interesting posts.  On this one, you're coming off as a schmuck.

[WNYBuckHunter]

My original response the the author who started this thread was in response to his use of the word 'Kenyan' in his description of the President.  Maybe he intended to use the word 'keynsian' instead of Kenyan- not sure.  At this point, I'm wondering if you guys are defending his use of 'Kenyan', thinking that it's the same at 'Keynsian'.  Or, are you defending the term 'Kenyan'.  Either way, at least you all seem to have finally given up on trying to convince each other that he's Muslim.

Ok so now you have completely proved yourself to be the idiot. Heres the definition of Kenyan, and in no way is it racist. It describes someone from Kenya.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Kenyan

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Culver, you occasionally write thoughtful and interesting posts.  On this one, you're coming off as a schmuck.

It was tounge in cheek, Virgil. I think you were a little premature pulling out the race card on this topic. I was trying to illustrate how absurd you were being. There was no difference between the Kenyan comment of inserting any other nation in there. The jab was at the question of his nationality NOT his race.

[virgil]

It was tounge in cheek, Virgil. I think you were a little premature pulling out the race card on this topic. I was trying to illustrate how absurd you were being. There was no difference between the Kenyan comment of inserting any other nation in there. The jab was at the question of his nationality NOT his race.      I think that that's a convenient defense- crying foul when someone uses 'the race card' to point out blatantly racist statements.  But, I don't recall any other political candidate being referred to in a similar way.  I've never heard Andrew Cuomo referred to as 'the Italian'.  As far as premature, not sure what you mean- the word was used in the opening line introducing this thread topic.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

There has never been any controversy over Cumo's citizenship. A more appropriate comparison would be to call Arnold a Austrian socialist....beacuse of his origin of birth.

And my reference to pre-mature was your assertion it was racist based on that comment alone. You seem very sympathetic to many left leaning stances and issues. that is entirely your right (no pun intended), but as you call VJP on what you think is his "radical" stance, pulling out the tired old saw of "racism" so easliy is extreme as well

[Doewhacker]

I don't think calling some one a Kenyan socialist makes them a racist, dumbass maybe but not racist. Kinda reminds me of when Kayne said "George Bush does not like black people" during the Katrina telethon, tasteless and stupid but not racist.

I call this thread a waste.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

it got off that way DOoe. the original topic of the globalization of our 2nd Amm. rights (the original topic) is of concern though. It seems we have a Govt.(both sides)  that is all to eager to sell us out. The whole "by the people, for the people" seems to be a concept that is not held fast and practiced by politicians anymore. It has turned into a group of "what is best for me". I guess it kind of morrors what I see in society today so I shouldn't be surprised......

And by the way.....have a couple lobsters for me. 

[Doewhacker]

it got off that way DOoe. the original topic of the globalization of our 2nd Amm. rights (the original topic) is of concern though. It seems we have a Govt.(both sides)  that is all to eager to sell us out. The whole "by the people, for the people" seems to be a concept that is not held fast and practiced by politicians anymore. It has turned into a group of "what is best for me". I guess it kind of morrors what I see in society today so I shouldn't be surprised......

And by the way.....have a couple lobsters for me. 

Our politicians have f'ed us long ago, look at our history of recent presidents, its full of pot heads, coke heads, liars and cheats..and an actor for christ sake. This treaty deal does need to be watched but I did read that the NRA is at the talks so thats a good sign. The treaty as a whole is "supposed" to regulate arms deals between countries. To me that could be good but knowing how bad we are at getting things right it could also turn out bad. I don't want a Russian dude selling truck loads of arms to Iran or where ever, (although Iran contra was us, again Oliver North!) and I highly doubt that a international treaty could get through the system to be ratified into our government.

Long ago they forgot that they work for us Culv, and I do believe that if they don't straighten out the debt ceing crap we are in for a changing country. (I know its a different subject/thread, sue me)

Oh and I will eat a couple in your name! 

[steve863]

Our politicians have f'ed us long ago, look at our history of recent presidents, its full of pot heads, coke heads, liars and cheats..and an actor for christ sake.

No $#!+!!

Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr., Obama.  Absolutely NONE of them were any better than the other, and that includes REAGAN who many idolize.  He may have had some half way intelligent people working for him, but he himself couldn't recite his own name without a teleprompter in front of him.  He hemmed and hawed anytime he had to answer a question without written notes in front of him, and then some of his supporters accuse Obama of the same! LOL

If anyone thinks a politician of either party will actually be looking out for us, I've got news for them. 

[virgil]

There has never been any controversy over Cumo's citizenship. A more appropriate comparison would be to call Arnold a Austrian socialist....beacuse of his origin of birth.

the primary difference being that Arnold was born in Austria and Obama was born in Hawaii.  The citizenship question was always a bogus attempt to discredit him; plus the fact that it's been entirely debunked and you guys still won't let it go.

[WNYBuckHunter]

the primary difference being that..blah blah blah blah

No matter how much you flap your gums, it still doesnt mean the term Kenyan Socialist means anything other than a Socialist from Kenya.

Just man up and admit you were wrong and get back on topic.

[virgil]

WNY, you fail to recognize that the statement that you are defending happens to be patently false.  The man was born in Hawaii, not Kenya.  Therefore, saying that he's from Kenya is false.  Are you so dense that you can't see that?  Or, do you purposely ignore this fact so that you can continue to feel justified in repeating such nonsense?

[WNYBuckHunter]

WNY, you fail to recognize that the statement that you are defending happens to be patently false.  The man was born in Hawaii, not Kenya.  Therefore, saying that he's from Kenya is false.  Are you so dense that you can't see that?  Or, do you purposely ignore this fact so that you can continue to feel justified in repeating such nonsense?

I never said it was true, just that it was not racist.