U.N. Small Arms Treaty Not a Gun Grab. Still.

Everyone needs a boogyman. Sorry, bogeyman. That’s doubly true for gun rights groups: the NRA et al. need a boogying bogeyman to frighten gun owners into opening their wallets. Nothing gets those donation dollars flowing like a good old-fashioned gun grab. Problem: despite early fears that the post-Obama gun rights would erode like George Bush’s political base, nothing of the sort has happened. In fact, gun rights are ascendant . . .

From concealed carry licensing procedures, to the right to carry a gun on an Amtrak train or traipsing across federal lands, Americans are rolling back gun control regs. Not to mention the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Chicago’s handgun ban and incorporate the Second Amendment. For gun rights groups there are the best of times and the best of times.

Unless you need to whip-up a little proactive paranoia. And so, gun orgs have been forced—forced I tell you—to point the fickle finger of fate at the United Nations and its “trojan horse”: the Small Arms Treaty.

TTAG has been telling its readers since we were aborned in February that the U.N. Small Arms Treaty is aimed at the control of military weapons. In general, it aims to impose the same regulations on military weapon sales that the United States currently employs. End user certificates, accountability, that sort of thing.

The U.N. Small Arms Treaty—which has yet to be introduced even in draft form—could mutate into a gun grab. But it hasn’t. And even if it did, the Treaty would have to be approved by the U.S. Senate and then signed by the [next] President. If the Treaty so much as head feints towards a gun grab, it will have about as much chance of receiving U.S. approval as Hamas’ denial of Israel’s right to exist. Probably less.

While we appreciate the fact that eternal vigilance is the price of peace, it’s important to keep this thing in perspective. ‘Cause there’s another U.N. gun grab percolating away, elsewhere. Hello? NRA?

On Friday, the U.S. State Department announced its support for the United Nations’ “International Small Arms Destruction Day.”

The State Department, under the leadership of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, calls this ridiculous event part of the United States’ ongoing efforts to support the “rule of law around the world” and boasts of spending more than $130 million to destroy “1.4 million small arms and light weapons.” A press release from the State Department says this money was spent at the behest of the anti-gun United Nations to reduce the impact of “illicit flows of small arms and light weapons.”

PAUSE. Here’s the Press Release:

The United States is pleased to join the international community in observing International Small Arms Destruction Day as part of our ongoing efforts to reduce armed violence and support the rule of law around the world.

Excess, loosely secured, or otherwise at-risk small arms, light weapons and munitions pose both a security and humanitarian risk worldwide. Since 2001, when the United Nations first called for an international observance of the impact of illicit flows of small arms and light weapons, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs has invested over $130 million to destroy more than 1.4 million small arms and light weapons, and 80,000 tons of munitions, and almost 32,000 man-portable air-defense systems, which could have posed a threat to global aviation in the hands of terrorists or insurgents.

The United States takes this opportunity to encourage all States to continue implementing relevant UN and regional instruments on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, including the UN Program of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects; The International Instrument on Tracing of Small Arms and Light Weapons; and recommendations made by the UN Group of Governmental Experts to consider further steps to enhance international cooperation in preventing, combating and eradicating illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons.

The United States is the world’s single largest financial supporter of conventional weapons destruction. Since 1993, the United States has promoted peace and security through the commitment of more than $1.5 billion for the safe disposal of small arms, light weapons, and munitions, as well as for removal of landmines and other explosive remnants of war in 47 countries. For more information, please visit the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement at www.state.gov/t/pm/wra.

OK, back to the polemic:

Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist said, “The U.N. has long had an agenda of undermining our Second Amendment freedoms by ending all private ownership of firearms by law-abiding Americans. Now, our State Department is joining the effort. The Obama Administration’s embrace of this offensive ‘celebration’ and the UN’s ‘Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects’ — a program that has sought to disarm Americans and undermine the United States Constitution — is an affront to the 80 million law-abiding gun owners in our country.”

And Cox’s willful misconstruing of the U.N. Small Arms Treaty (he knows exactly what it’s about) is an affront to lovers of the truth—who don’t depend on fear to fill their begging bowl. Just sayin’.