This treaty was signed by Bill Clinton in 1997, but was never ratified by the Senate.
Making Reloading Illegal
What does this mean for Americans? For one thing, it would criminalize the act of reloading ammunition without a license. Yep, you read that correctly. If you are one of the many folks who reload ammunition for any reason - whether to counter the current unprecedented ammunition shortages (apparently brought on by a public that's deathly afraid of the Obama administration's intentions regarding legal purchasing and ownership of guns and ammo) or just to put together some nice, accurate hunting loads, then this treaty would make you a criminal.
This is only one of the many freedom-restricting avenues which the Obama-led Federal government has explored in the short time it's been in place. A ban on the sale of surplus military cartridge cases was recently proposed and then overturned due to public outcry. We should let that be an example of what folks can do by raising their voices - and we must continue to do so if we are to continue to retain our domestic freedoms, i.e. human rights.
Making Other Things Illegal, too
The treaty would also apparently prohibit unlicensed manufacture of "other related materials," which it goes on to define as "any component, part, or replacement part of a firearm, or an accessory which can be attached to a firearm."
That would mean that anyone who builds a replacement part for a gun at home without a license would be a criminal. The building of a small knurled knob, which I recently made for an uncle's rifle sight on my lathe, would put me in violation of this treaty.
What a mess.
Adding to Our Burden
And in this time of severe budget crunches that state and local governments are facing, the treaty would place a large burden on state governments: "States... are required to adopt necessary legislative or other measures to criminalize acts of illicit manufacturing and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other related materials, as those terms are defined in the Convention. The acts that must be criminalized include participation in, association or conspiracy to commit, attempts to commit, and aiding, abetting, facilitating, and counseling in committing illicit manufacturing and trafficking."
It's my opinion that the pushing of this treaty and other freedom-restricting measures can only mean that what's being sought here is increased government control over all of us law-abiding citizens. There's just no other reason to push for these and other measures, especially at a time when we're facing a terrible financial crisis.
Home gunsmithing and ammo reloading does not contribute to crime. What it does do is allow Americans to exercise a semblance of the freedom enjoyed by our forefathers, the founders of this nation. We make target and hunting ammo, we tinker with our guns, and we don't commit crimes... but if this treaty is ratified, it will make such activities instantly illegal.
Speak Up
We have got to let our voices be heard, folks. That's all there is to it. Public outcry to Congress is just about our only choice at this point. Members of Congress are usually very interested in being re-elected, and if enough of their constituents disagree strongly with what they do, they will lose their powerful offices.
They must be afraid of the consequences of their actions. Let them know what you think of this and other measures being considered against law-abiding citizens. Speaking of this treaty in particular, let your Senators know that you strongly disagree with this treaty, and that they must not ratify it.
- Russ Chastain
