United Nations & Gun Control.

The United Nations' proposed Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is a serious threat to American gun owners and now includes civilian arms. The treaty supposedly promotes transparency in the arms trade and would prevent international transfers of arms. In addition, the ATT would expose the records of America's gun owners to foreign governments. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, it was a "disgrace" that there is not a treaty that includes small arms because the world is "over armed" and insisted upon strict national legislation to control arms. Norway concurred and called for the treaty to include "non-military arms,". While New Zealand stated that the treaty should not "regulate state's internal matters, such as condition of domestic sales of arms or national systems of gun control or registration," Mexico believes that individuals' rights, such as the Second Amendment, are not an excuse for "products traded without controls" and that civilian firearms need to be included. Mexico, France, Germany, Britain, and Sweden agreed that the ATT should include "all types of conventional weapons, notably including small arms and light weapons, all types of munitions, and related technologies." In order to ratify a treaty, two-thirds of the U.S. Senate must be in favor of it. Last year, 58 senators, in the form of a letter, informed President Obama that they would oppose a treaty that affected civilian ownership of firearms, challenge the authority of Congress to regulate firearms, or call for an international gun registry. Furthermore, 130 representatives sent a letter to President Obama stating, "The U.S. must not accept an ATT that infringes on our constitutional rights, particularly the fundamental, individual right to keep and to bear arms that is protected by the Second Amendment, as well as the right of personal self-defense on which the Second amendment is based. Accordingly, the ATT should not cover small arms, light weapons, or related material, such as firearms ammunition. Further, the ATT should expressly recognize the individual right of personal self-defense, as well as the legitimacy of hunting, sports shooting, and other lawful activities pertaining to the ownership of firearms and related materials." National Rifle Association's executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, says the treaty, "cheapens our rights as Americans citizens, and weakens our sovereignty" and could potentially lead to the erosion of the Second Amendment since the ATT focuses on government's having rights to guns, instead of individuals having rights. The conference on the ATT will conclude on July 27. Since this is a critical and complex issue, you can expect updates. As an Ohio Second Amendment Law Firm, Barney & DeBrosse, LLC, will keep a close eye on any developments.