US Authority signs UN arms treaty

At the behest of the current presidential administration, the United States' [US] Secretary of State signed the United Nations' [UN] Arms Trade Treaty [ATT] last week. While the document, which was first proposed in April of this year, has been signed by 112 nations only seven have fully ratified it, with none of those being major world powers.

UN emblem

Proponents of the international law suggest that its full ratification will stem the flow of weapons going to despotic regimes and extremist terrorists, claiming it is a major step toward global peace. Critics thrash it however, asserting ATT is a violation of national borders and sovereignty, crippling the lucrative and legal arms industry in the process; Authority in both China and Russia have stood firmly against the measure.

Despite assurances from the UN that personal gun ownership will not be targeted, opposition to the treaty is strong in the US as well. They point out that ATT monitors sales of many forms of weaponry, including small arms; in order for the law to be implemented, gun advocates explain, globalist databases would have to be created to record and regulate all firearm sales. This is not only viewed by opponents as an invasion of privacy but also a covert attempt to disarm private citizens, which would be a blatant violation of the second amendment [#2A] of the US constitution.

It is unlikely that ATT will be legally ratified by the US; it takes a two-thirds majority of its Senate to ratify international treaties, and a majority of that body tracks toward second amendment support. While gun advocates take limited solace in that, some are concerned that presidential Authority will attempt to 'impose' ratification though executive orders, due to what they perceive as its long-standing disdain for the Constitution in general, and #2A in particular.

Observation: The UN office spearheading this treaty is called the "United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs;" draw your own conclusions - SB.