Letter from my Senator on UN Small Arms Treaty

[jedwil]

Dear Mr. Willson:

Thank you for contacting me regarding a proposed treaty on international arms trade. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.

In October 2009, the Obama Administration announced that it would reverse current U.S. policy by supporting the launch of United Nations (UN) talks on the formation of a treaty to regulate international arms sales. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated that U.S. support of these talks is predicated on the negotiations operating under the rules of consensus decision-making, which afford each nation veto authority. I share your concerns regarding the implications of such a treaty.

The negotiating forum for these talks, the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, seeks to propose a legally binding treaty to increase regulation of, and set international standards for, the import, export, and transfer of conventional weapons. At this time, there is no draft text of this treaty. It is my understanding that preparatory meetings were held in New York in July, and a conference to negotiate the treaty text is not expected to be held before mid-2012. Furthermore, it is important to note that, should a U.S. President choose to sign the resulting treaty text in the future, it would subsequently require ratification by two-thirds of the U.S. Senate in order to enter into force.

Therefore, I have joined with several of my colleagues in signing a letter to President Barack Obama and Secretary Clinton that highlights the Senate’s constitutional advice and consent role over treaties and details our key concerns. This letter states that any treaty that seeks to regulate the domestic manufacture, assembly, possession, transfer, or purchase of firearms, ammunition, and related items is unacceptable. It is essential to safeguard the law-abiding citizens’ constitutional right to own and use firearms designed for legitimate purposes such as hunting, target shooting, collecting, and self-protection. Restricting this right runs counter to the intent of our Founding Fathers, who expressly guaranteed in the Second Amendment that citizens would retain the right to keep and bear arms.

The United States must carefully evaluate actions taken by international organizations to determine whether they are consistent with our national interests. As Americans, we take pride in our nation and its hard-fought independence, and you may be certain that I will vigorously oppose any legislation or action that infringes upon that sovereignty.

I appreciate the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that I will continue working with my colleagues to protect our sovereignty and defend our Second Amendment rights. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator

[RunningOnMT]

+1 for Sen. Cornyn and to you for writing him.

[bmrtoyo]

everyone needs to write and push this issue against the UN, UN is a joke

[whymememe]

Good man, That Texas Senator Cornyn.

[jack404]

there is more thana draft text theres a whole world of rules , i'll dig it up for you all

[raven818]

I hope he was being honest with you. Being a Texas senator, he probably was. But....

[whymememe]

Originally Posted by jack404

there is more thana draft text theres a whole world of rules , i'll dig it up for you all

Huh?

[Poppypaul]

This is a really critical issue with great danger for our rights under the 2nd amendment. The current issue of The American Rifleman has on page # 12 a one page piece on this written by EVP Wayne LaPierre. All of us should contact our US Representatives and voice our strong opposition to our President's intentions.

[ryan42]

Originally Posted by Poppypaul

This is a really critical issue with great danger for our rights under the 2nd amendment. The current issue of The American Rifleman has on page # 12 a one page piece on this written by EVP Wayne LaPierre. All of us should contact our US Representatives and voice our strong opposition to our President's intentions.

I agree and im in the middle of drafting a letter to my representatives.

[jack404]

This is the UN's document store for the session which included the draft resolutions for North America

http://unbisnet.un.org:8080/ipac20/i...=&sort=3100054


if the link asks for a login

its jack404 with a password of 424cdcd

but it should take you to a list of all that session doc's

9. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its
sixty-fifth session a report covering both the implementation of the activities of the
Programme by the United Nations system during the previous two years and the
activities of the Programme contemplated by the system for the following two years;
10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-fifth session the
item entitled “United Nations Disarmament Information Programme”.

[TimeTraveler]

An FYI.

http://www.sweetliberty.org/issues/s...s/treaties.htm


Article VI of the Constitution is VERY clear on this.
Quote:
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any state to the Contrary notwithstanding.

Quote:
HERE ARE THE CLEAR IRREFUTABLE FACTS: The U.S. Supreme Court has made it very clear that

1) Treaties do not override the U.S. Constitution.
2) Treaties cannot amend the Constitution. And last,

3) A treaty can be nullified by a statute passed by the U.S. Congress (or by a sovereign State or States if Congress refuses to do so), when the State deems a treaty the performance of a treaty is self-destructive. The law of self-preservation overrules the law of obligation in others. When you've read this thoroughly, hopefully, you will never again sit quietly by when someone -- anyone -- claims that treaties supercede the Constitution. Help to dispell this myth. "This [Supreme] Court has regularly and uniformly recognized the supremacy of the Constitution over a treaty." - Reid v. Covert, October 1956, 354 U.S. 1, at pg 17

[jack404]

ya think they be listening to what the rules are or working to get around em ??

[TimeTraveler]

They will only get away with anything that, "We The People", will let them get away with.

[jack404]

exactly and you've let them remove congress outta most equations via EO ...

[TimeTraveler]

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." ( Edmund Burke)

[norahc]

Since when does our current President concern himself with such trivial details as Constitutional requirements for treaty ratification? He'll just implement it under Executive Order under some false pretense.

[jedwil]

Originally Posted by norahc

Since when does our current President concern himself with such trivial details as Constitutional requirements for treaty ratification? He'll just implement it under Executive Order under some false pretense.

That's my fear. And the other 2 branches will let it happen.

[whymememe]

U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs delivers hydraulic shears for firearms destruction to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. dated May 15, 2012


http://unlirec.org/noticias_det_eng.aspx?id=20

[jack404]

should see what they be doing in indonesia , the non muslim islands only though ..

[kermit]

Originally Posted by jack404

should see what they be doing in indonesia , the non muslim islands only though ..

everything i needed to know about muslems/islam i learned on september 11,2001... nothing has changed my opinion about them/it......... 21 years defending US Constitution while in military.

[TimeTraveler]

Dictators can't have armed civilians, now can they?

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/3478...ban-cancer.htm

The Venezuelan government passed a new gun law that prohibits the commercial sale of firearms and ammunition, moving the country closer to President Hugo Chavez and his administration's goal of disarming all civilians as crime rates continue to rise.

[Eddie N]

Jack, I got curious and tried your link. Guess what came up...
"The UN website is undergoing urgent maintenance and is currently unavailable

Please check back in a short while."

[jce07a]

Originally Posted by kermit

everything i needed to know about muslems/islam i learned on september 11,2001... nothing has changed my opinion about them/it......... 21 years defending US Constitution while in military.

if you feel that the entire religion is represented by some extremists then you really should do some research. do you think that all Christians are exactly like the members of the Westboro Baptist Church? seeing as you dont seem to know much about religion, those are the folks who have been going to military funerals with "thank god for dead soldiers" signs. please dont make this website sound like its users are ignorant bigots. i understand that muslims were responsible for attacks against the US, but if spineless attacks are what you base your hatred on, then you should be layin some hate on buddhists and shintoists (i.e. the japanese)

i am all for you being allowed to say whatever you want, however you want, but i am also for knowing a bit about what you are talking about.

[Claudius Valarium]

Originally Posted by raven818

I hope he was being honest with you. Being a Texas senator, he probably was. But....

Let me finish that for you . . . .

"after all, he IS a politician."

[jack404]

Originally Posted by Eddie N

Jack, I got curious and tried your link. Guess what came up...
"The UN website is undergoing urgent maintenance and is currently unavailable

Please check back in a short while."

Dang , again