U.N. Approves Anti-gun Treaty
From: "\"Doc\" Melson" <docmelson@docmelson.com>Reprinted
from NewsMax.com
U.N.
Approves Anti-gun Treaty
CNSNews.com
Saturday,
June 2, 2001
The
United Nations General Assembly has approved a gun control treaty that calls
on all nations "to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit
manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components, and
ammunition."
The
treaty is supposed to make it easier to crack down on illegal gun trafficking
by helping authorities trace the global movement of all new weapons. It must
be signed and ratified by at least 40 countries before it becomes
international law.
The
signing period runs from July 1 through Dec. 12, 2002.
Under
terms of the treaty, approved Thursday:
·
All new firearms would have to be marked with a serial number and the
place of manufacture.
·
Nations would have to set up import-export licensing procedures.
·
Countries would also be required to keep records on all guns, parts and
ammunition made within their borders for 10 years.
·
Nations are urged to pass laws making the illicit manufacture and sale
of firearms a criminal offense.
Press
reports said numerous countries have concerns about the treaty, which raises
questions about whether it will ever take effect.
National
Rifle Association Executive Director Wayne LaPierre was unavailable for
comment Friday, according to an NRA spokesman.
However,
Gun Owners of America isn't surprised at the U.N. action, according to
spokesman Erich Pratt.
"This
comes as no surprise because the U.N. is very much against the right of
self-defense. What they are doing now in terms of tracing has not been
effective in curbing crime. It has not even been effective in helping
authorities find the perpetrators of crime. Anywhere you look, gun control has
failed to cut crime," Pratt said.
"But
one thing that gun control has been effective at," Pratt said, "is
registering law-abiding gun owners, and that seems to be what this treaty is
aimed at encouraging governments to do is to register gun owners and being
able to track law abiding gun owners," he said.
"That,
of course, concerns us very much, since, historically, registration has been a
first step to confiscation of firearms," Pratt added.
Handgun
Control Inc. had no comment.
Copyright
CNSNews.com
"When
the way comes to an end, then change - having changed, you pass through."
I. Ching
Bruce
"Doc". Melson