treaty to ban handloading

[GRIMJIM]

Obama Pushing Treaty To Ban Reloading
-- Even BB guns could be on the chopping block

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Tuesday, April 21, 2009


Remember CANDIDATE Barack Obama?  The guy who "wasn't going to take away our guns"?

Well, guess what?

Less than 100 days into his administration, he's never met a gun he didn't hate.

A week ago, Obama went to Mexico, whined about the United States, and bemoaned (before the whole world) the fact that he didn't have the political power to take away our semi-automatics.  Nevertheless, that didn't keep him from pushing additional restrictions on American gun owners.

It's called the Inter-American Convention Against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.  To be sure, this imponderable title masks a really nasty piece of work.

First of all, when the treaty purports to ban the "illicit"
manufacture
of firearms, what does that mean?

1. "Illicit manufacturing" of firearms is defined as "assembly of firearms [or] ammunition... without a license...."

Hence, reloading ammunition -- or putting together a lawful firearm from a kit -- is clearly "illicit manufacturing."

Modifying a firearm in any way would surely be "illicit manufacturing."
And, while it would be a stretch, assembling a firearm after cleaning it could, in any plain reading of the words, come within the screwy definition of "illicit manufacturing."

2. "Firearm" has a similarly questionable definition.

"[A]ny other weapon" is a "firearm," according to the treaty -- and the term "weapon" is nowhere defined.

So, is a BB gun a "firearm"?  Probably.

A toy gun?  Possibly.

A pistol grip or firing pin?  Probably.  And who knows what else.

If these provisions (and others) become the law of the land, the Obama administration could have a heyday in enforcing them.  Consider some of the other provisions in the treaty:

* Banning Reloading.  In Article IV of the treaty, countries commit to adopting "necessary legislative or other measures" to criminalize illicit manufacturing and trafficking in firearms.

Remember that "illicit manufacturing" includes reloading and modifying or assembling a firearm in any way.  This would mean that the Obama administration could promulgate regulations banning reloading on the basis of this treaty -- just as it is currently circumventing Congress to write legislation taxing greenhouse gases.

* Banning Gun Clubs.  Article IV goes on to state that the criminalized acts should include "association or conspiracy" in connection with said offenses -- which is arguably a term broad enough to allow, by regulation, the criminalization of entire pro-gun organizations or gun clubs, based on the facilities which they provide their membership.

* Extraditing US Gun Dealers. Article V requires each party to "adopt such measures as may be necessary to establish its jurisdiction over the offenses it has established in accordance with this Convention" under a variety of circumstances.

We know that Mexico is blaming U.S. gun dealers for the fact that its streets are flowing with blood.  And we know it is possible for Mexico to define offenses "committed in its territory" in a very broad way.
And we know that we have an extradition obligation under Article XIX of the proposed treaty.  So we know that Mexico could try to use the treaty to demand to extradition of American gun dealers.

Under Article XXIX, if Mexico demands the extradition of a lawful American gun dealer, the U.S. would be required to resolve the dispute through "other means of peaceful settlement."

Does anyone want to risk twenty years in a sweltering Mexican jail on the proposition that the Obama administration would apply this provision in a pro-gun manner?

* Microstamping.  Article VI requires "appropriate markings" on firearms.  And, it is not inconceivable that this provision could be used to require microstamping of firearms and/or ammunition -- a requirement which is clearly intended to impose specifications which are not technologically possible or which are possible only at a prohibitively expensive cost.

* Gun Registration.  Article XI requires the maintenance of any records, for a "reasonable time," that the government determines to be necessary to trace firearms.  This provision would almost certainly repeal portions of McClure-Volkmer and could arguably be used to require a national registry or database.

ACTION:  Write your Senators and urge them to oppose the Inter-American Convention Against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.

Please use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the pre-written e-mail message below.

----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator:

I am urging you, in the strongest terms, to oppose the Inter-American Convention Against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.

This anti-gun treaty was written by international bureaucrats who are either stupid or virulently anti-gun -- or both.

This treaty could very well ban the ability to reload ammunition, to put new stocks on rifles lawfully owned by American citizens, and, possibly, even ban BB guns!

There are too many problems with this treaty to mention them all in this letter.  The rest can be read on the website of Gun Owners of America
at:
http://www.gunowners.org/fs0901.htm

Please do not tell me the treaty has not yet been abused in this way by the bevy of Third World countries which have signed it.  We do not expect the real ramifications of the treaty to become clear until the big prize -- the U.S. -- has stepped into the trap.

For all of these reasons, I must insist that you oppose ratification of the treaty.

Sincerely,


****************************

What's Your Current GOA Status?

Obviously, we now face years of invigorated attacks on our gun rights.
Shutting down gun shows, prohibitions on specific calibers, another semi-auto ban, and the anti-gun extremists' Holy Grail of mandatory federal licensing and registration of all gun owners -- these are just some of the horrors that we already know we'll have to defeat head-on.
Not to mention this treaty nonsense.  Meanwhile, we'll take every opportunity to go on offense and advance the Second Amendment.

It can't be done without every single voice being counted.  That's why we are asking you to consider making the commitment of becoming a Gun Owners of America Life Member.  By doing so, you put the politicians on notice that neither you nor GOA is going away -- that no matter who's in the White House, there is always going to be a solid wall of resistance.

Now is a perfect time to become a Life Member.  And if you aren't a GOA member at all, isn't it time you became one?

Please go to http://gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm to upgrade your participation in GOA.

[streak]

Yes,here we go again!
This administration  is really starting to push the envelope!
Now they want to make reloading and various other activies pertaining to firearms a crimminal act if you do not have a license to perform these various activities such as reloading. If this treaty is ever ratified, watch out!! Because ther will be more to follow!!
I SMELL A RAT HERE! And it perhaps has a strange but yet familiar odor of suspicious behavior.
I wonder if this could be tied in with the overall scheme of the United Nations to try and exert it`s influence to try and impose it`s gun control measures on the U.S.?

[Mikey]

"If these provisions (and others) become the law of the land, the Obama administration could have a heyday in enforcing them".  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  In a pig's eye they will. 

That sentence should be changed to read:  If obama attempts to make these provisions the law of the land they will have one hell of a time trying to enforce them.   

Do you have any real idea of what will happen to or when the 'enforcement' people attempt to go gun club to gun club looking for this 'illicit' (handloaded) ammunition, or who go door to door attempting to arrest anyone who reloads or attempt to enforce closing out illegal club activities???  They will get the ammo they came looking for alright but it sure won't be how they expect to collect it. 

All this 'harem-scarem' going on about the dems, those foaming at the mouth lib commies, gun grabbers, pelosi/reed/mccarthy/fienstein/shumers, etc., simply masks the 'dark undercurrent of the armed society' that is pretty near a flashpoint.  I firmly believe that if anyone in the obama administration attempts anything close to banning these activities or attempting to enforce any bans, that flashpoint will become a flash fire and then the fight is on.  And even though the dems are stupid and soon forget the losses they suffered due to the clinton gun ban, and want to try again soon and seriously, obama and others remember, which is why dummies like pelosi call for this and that and he just keeps his mouth shut.  Obama knows this.  I think he knows how thin the ice is and although he talks about going ice skating (because he is a politician) he sure hasn't laced up yet.

Tea parties - anyone here think they don't have any real effect?  Anyone here really think that pelosi, reed, shumer, obama and others do not understand what they mean???  Has shumer said anything about the tea parties - nope.  How about feinstein - nope.  They're keeping their mouths shut.  Some of them full well realize the tea parties are like getting too close to a Rattle Snake - and that's when you hear the rattle.  I feel they also realize that if they go any farther the snake will strike.  It's ok if you want to go for a walk in the country, but if you hear the snake shake its rattles, you either get the hell out or die, plain and simple, and although they spout their crap, they know how close they are to a flashpoint of getting bit. 

Dumbocraps are like little bullies - they will push things as far as they can while they can still get away with it but they are getting close to the edge now and I think they realize it. 

But does anyone here really understand that politicians are nothing more than paid talkers?  They will say this and that and that 'we should do this and that' but they know they cannot or that the American public will not allow it, but they speak to it anyhow as a political gesture, and as a gesture it is meaningless.  They know they can say one thing and then turn around the next day and say 'they voted it down' or 'the public won't allow it' or it has to go to the legislature for approval, and not be concerned about what they said the previous day. 

Anyone here really want to try and tell Alaska, Colorado, Texas, Vermont or a few others that gun clubs might be considered illegal or that reloaded ammunition is going to be banned.  Heck, we won't have to worry about well organized (unruly to the dems) armed mobs setting fire to Tiny Tim's Teahouse when the whole darn state tells the feds to bugger off.  Remember, the fed can say what the fed wants to say but it is the individual states that have the real power and when they say 'NO', they mean it.   jmtcw.

[Bart Solo]

Don't panic.  The treaty he is talking about has been kicking around since Clinton.  It doesn't outlaw reloading. It outlaws the unlicensed trafficking of ammunition across national borders. Read the darn treaty before you panic.

It takes the consent of 67 senators before any treaty can be ratified.  If the anti-gun crowd has 67 senators on their side already we have a lot more to worry about than the treaty Obama talked to the Mexicans about. 

Anyway you are all aware aren't you, that if you sell your reloads you have to have an FFL license, but if you don't sell you don't need a license.  No change with the treaty.  It doesn't ban personal reloading.  This is the kind of nonsense that has resulted in a lack of ammunition and components.  I want it to end. It wont unless we become informed.  Informed is not repeating every bit of misinformation every yahoo puts out. 

Personally, I have decided not to panic until the NRA tells me to panic. That would serve us all in good stead. 

[kitchawan kid]

Micro-stamping will outlaw reloading,this and banning lead will stop our reloading,no panic just facts.

[Bart Solo]

How come the NRA isn't jumping all over this treaty.  Read the darn thing. 

You understand that it takes 67 senators before the President can ratify a treaty.  That is the most difficult way to impliment any gun control effort. 

The treaty deals with illicit trafficking.  That is defined as crossing a border. 

I am sick of the panic. 

I tell you what, why don't you spend everything you have on buying up all the reloading components you want. Sell your computer, everything. Then you can sit on the big pile of depreciating stuff.  Panic gets us no where. 

[SHOOTALL]

they banned drinking once and illegal drugs . Hows that working out for them ?