The Uninvited Ombudsman Report, No. 63 - International Gun Treaty Sidesteps Congress

Taken from the most recent "Page Nine" Alan Korwin's "The Uninvited Ombudsman Report"

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STARTERS:

In a stunningly clever move, president Barack Obama, speaking from Mexico, announced support for an international firearms treaty that could have far-reaching effects on U.S. gun ownership -- without needing to pass legislation and deal with normal congressional representation. See item #1 in the Page Nine report below. If ratified by the Senate, the treaty, which is already written, would become law and supercede even the U.S. Constitution, as specified in the Constitution itself (Art. VI).

I have obtained a copy of the 4,078-word treaty and have begun to study it; it has numerous conditions whose effects are unclear and could depend in large measure on how they are interpreted and applied. It appears that the conditions will require binding regulations to implement, which would be written by faceless bureaucrats and be relatively immune to legislative process or full public review. As soon as possible I will be releasing an analysis of the Inter-American Convention Against The Illicit Manufacturing Of And Trafficking In Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, And Other Related Materials, which you can download here: http://www.oas.org/juridico/English/treaties/a-63.html

This opening requirement could presumably be fulfilled in almost any way, to satisfy an anti-rights interpretation of the treaty: "Art. IV, 1. States Parties that have not yet done so shall adopt the necessary legislative or other measures to establish as criminal offenses under their domestic law the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other related materials." "Trafficking" is not explicitly limited by "illicit" and could mean almost anything.

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Q: Five days after the Columbine criminal atrocity, who called for "regulations on how people interact on the Internet"?
A: Eric Holder, the current U.S. attorney general. Source: Harper's Index.

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NATIONAL TRAINING WEEK

Thanks to ABC-TV's 20/20 gun-awareness program, "If I Only Had A Gun," Americans everywhere better understand the need for robust gun-safety and marksmanship training, which has fallen into serious disrepair, as the show amply demonstrated.

From toddlers to teenagers to adults, gun education appears to be at an all time low, according to ABC. It's time for the country to rise up and embrace National Training Week.

Shooting ranges in all 50 states can offer free firearms rentals, as an incentive for the public to visit and book range time, purchase training ammunition, and even hire instructors for get-out-the rust practice and skill improvement. Special discounted programs for newcomers, women, youngsters, seniors and accomplished marksmen can be offered nationally for a full week to both stimulate business and enhance community skills.

Will the range you use join the effort? Ask them. Encourage them. Make this the national effort it ought to be.

National Training Week is a summertime activity, launching on the 4th of July, and continuing for eight days. This year it runs from Saturday to Saturday.

Talk to the range you use, hand them this note, and encourage them to put up a banner, hand out fliers, introduce special programs like those outlined here, and use up to $3,000 in co-op advertising dollars from the First Shots program sponsored by The National Shooting Sports Foundation, http://www.nssf.org.

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At a dinner recently, an older uber-liberal told me that Di-Fi (his nickname for Dianne Feinstein, one of the most left-wing members in the history of Congress), was far too Republican. Yeah, I couldn't believe it either, but he defended it vigorously (though without facts). So I asked him my stock outing question: "What's the purpose of government?" to which he answered, after pondering, predictably, "To do all the things the people can't do for themselves."

So I walked him through the real world, reminded him of those phrases, "government of limited delegated powers," and "rule of law," and what do you call an official who can do anything without constraint, actions which have not been delegated to him by us, and he guessed "dictator" but recognized the correct answer is tyrant.

And after five minutes of this eye-opening interlude, which he had apparently never been exposed to, he capitulated completely and said, "I agree with you!" Then he spent the rest of the evening eyeing me from across the room, and looking bewildered. Had he been wrong about everything his whole life? Had I made so much sense in so short a period of time? What would he do now with his half-baked noodle pudding?

Two conclusions: Dr. Michael Savage is right, liberalism is a mental disorder; and -- there's hope.

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YOU GOT THAT RIGHT, quote of the week:

"The Grim Reaper is knocking on the mainstream media's door; and they remain gloriously oblivious. They have reached a tipping point but refuse to believe it. The corrosion that is eating away at their credibility has been happening slowly...

"They will remain arrogant and clueless and blame the media bashers for damaging their standing with the public. But their demise won't come from the outside. It will be an inside job, the result of one too many self-inflicted wounds."

--Author Bernard Goldberg "A Slobbering Love Affair -- The True (And Pathetic) Story of the Torrid Romance Between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media"

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1- Antigunners Bypass House

The lamestream media told you:

Sixty-five House Democrats, led by Mike Ross (D-Ark.), have sent a letter to attorney general Eric Holder opposing his stated position of seeking to renew the Bill Clinton ban on commonly owned semi-automatic firearms, parts and magazines. The group said, in part, they would "actively oppose any effort to reinstate the 1994 ban, or to pass any similar law." Congress let the law expire in 2004. See the letter and signatories: http://tinyurl.com/cbpfsz

The group denounced the attorney general's proposal to renew the ban, urging him, "to abandon any effort to reinstate the assault-weapons ban and to focus instead on effective law enforcement strategies to enforce the nation's current laws against violent criminals and drug traffickers."

[Note that every step and person involved in a gun-smuggling process is extremely illegal under current law, but largely unenforced.]

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

Recognizing that open revolt from within his own party could lead to bloody floor battles in Congress over new gun bans, president Barack Obama has chosen to bypass the U.S. House of Representatives and the normal legislative process in his quest for new gun infringements, promised during his campaign and recently promoted by his staff and members of his party, such as Pa. governor Ed Rendell, and House speaker Nancy Pelosi. The first salvo is scheduled to come in the form of an international treaty, cutting 65 rebellious Democrats completely out of the process.

It should be noted that the so-called assault-weapon ban, actually named the Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, did not actually ban anything. Countless millions of affected firearms, magazines and parts could be bought, sold, owned, traded and used by the public. What was banned by Mr. Clinton was new manufacture of any products on the list for consumers, causing prices to skyrocket, but leaving availability virtually untouched.

"News" reports never mention this, mainly, because they have no idea that this is the case. They believe what they read in their own reports, instead of getting facts. Reporters exhibit stunned disbelief when told the ban didn't ban anything.

When the expiration date Mr. Clinton put into the law took effect, police agencies and "news" outlets nationwide noted, with some embarrassment but no corrections to ten years of false scary stories, that no changes in crime rates occurred. The New York Times said the expiration, "has not caused any noticeable increase in gun crime in the past seven months," and that the government-assaulted private firearms "were never used in many gun crimes." http://tinyurl.com/bbfupx (See my report on this, item #1 http://www.gunlaws.com/Page9Folder/PageNine-60.htm)

That has changed recently, as politicians, foreign officials, and "news" people have again begun a false furor over various normal one-shot-at-a-time household firearms the public owns. Especially pointing to the U.S.-led war on some drugs and its effect on black market Mexican drug makers and exporters, they are blaming American gun owners for the government's mess. News reports on this are so distorted its hard to know where to begin in straightening them out.

All the true military-only combat weaponry and ordnance the drug producers are using is omitted from ban plans, because the public doesn't own any, and those supplies and suppliers will remain unaffected. The scary label used to vilify the public's arms, "assault weapons," is a misnomer and obvious distortion, because assault is a type of behavior, not a type of hardware.

If, as officials and their media allies claim, a high percentage of foreign drug-gang firearms are traced to U.S. stores, there should of course be massive arrests of the illegal buyers, straw purchasers, go-betweens, middlemen, cash bag men, smugglers and others repeatedly identified by thousands of NICS checks. No arrests have been announced even after years of claimed abuses, casting doubt on all government drug-related reports, as usual. U.S. cocaine market prices are reportedly stable.

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2- 100 Million Guns

The lamestream media told you:

Nothing.

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which runs the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) from Clarksburg, W. Va., has announced its 100 millionth instant background check since beginning on Nov. 30, 1998.

Although the popularly used estimate of guns privately held in the country has been unchanged at about 200 million for many years, the FBI announcement suggests the estimate is way low. A NICS check does not equate exactly with the number of guns sold, because some checks can account for more than one firearm, some checks do not end up with customers making the purchase, and a small percentage are denials, some of which are overturned.

Still, at this rate of sales seen with federal authorities watching what's going on, one can only wonder about how many firearms were sold for decade after decade before big brother was watching. Actual numbers are unknown because ownership of firearms, like the ownership of most private property, is private in a free country.

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3- National Carry Law

The lamestream media told you:

Nothing.

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

U.S. Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-Kansas) has co-sponsored the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Bill, HR197. This legislation would protect the rights of licensed firearm-permit holders by allowing them to carry firearms across the country without a confusing patchwork system. "The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Bill recognizes that those who have a valid state-issued concealed-firearms permit should not have to forfeit their safety when traveling," said Tiahrt. http://tinyurl.com/cklhbd

The bill does nothing for the 98% of gun owners who have refused to submit to a government-issued permit system for the exercise of basic human and civil rights, protected by the U.S. Constitution. "But it's a good start," said one lobbyist who will not be named to protect his identity and future employability.

The Tiahrt bill would place permitees under the carry laws of the state they are in, and provide federal guidelines for states that don't have permits and their accompanying rules. It's unclear if the proposal has any chance of passage while the Congress is heavily weighted to the left, but if it did, Obama supporters would get pretty bent out of shape, given their eager anticipation of extensive gun bans and not a restoration of even partial gun rights.

Drafted in Arizona, a gun-neutral bill will be circulated shortly that has potential to free up Americans everywhere, reinstate lost rights, and return common sense to a nation drifting away from its freedoms.

Dubbed the Private Property Protection Act, its opening sentence reads: "Any legally owned private property may be kept in or on a means of transportation anywhere the means of transportation may legally be." For teeth, the bill stipulates that anyone who discriminates against a person based on ownership or possession of legally owned private property, shall go to prison. And pay a steep fine.

Designed for state use, small modifications are planned to make the bill work nationally.

The draft is part of a planned "Model Legislation Website," with standardized protections for the civil right to arms that states can adopt to protect their citizens under principles of federalism and constitutional rule of law.

Any model legislation you think may be suitable should be forwarded to the Uninvited Ombudsman. Legal eagles who want to participate in the ground-breaking career-enhancing project should stand up and be recognized. Go to http://www.gunlaws.com, click the "Alan" button, and send me a note.

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4- 100% Mexican Artillery

The lamestream media told you:

According to all official U.S. and Mexican sources, 90% of all guns used by Mexican drug cartels come from U.S. retail stores.

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

By now, most people who get their news from places other than the networks and CNN know this is false, thanks to Page Nine #62 http://www.gunlaws.com/Page9Folder/PageNine-62.htm and a FOX News expose. I had the good fortune to work with FOX's William La Jeunesse on this story, where he calls the government's figure "inaccurate and wildly overstated," summarized here by the NRA:

"In a story entitled 'The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.,' Fox reporters William La Jeunesse and Maxim Lott found that the truth does not match the rhetoric of anti-gun politicians and journalists.

"The reality of firearms seized from Mexican drug cartels is that the 90% number far overstates the number of U.S.-origin guns in the hands of the gangs. In fact, the story reports that the number is actually closer to 17%." Many of the 30,000 guns recovered from crime scenes by the Mexicans are from Russia or Communist China, lack identifying markings (which U.S. products are required to have), and are not even submitted for tracing, helping to skew the figures.

Ignored entirely are the billions in arms, munitions and "aid" sent to Mexico by the U.S. government itself, much of which is known to spill into the cartels' hands. Are Colt and other U.S. gun makers complicit in the war on some drugs, for selling firearms to the government, which the government gives away to Mexicans, which Mexicans pass on to the cartels, which cartels use to shoot each other and police, which Colt and others are aware of?

Hillary, BATFE, the New York Times, the Washington Post and others who have unquestioningly promoted the false 90% figure have refused to issue a correction. This prompted NRA's ILA Director Chris Cox to observe that, "Reporter after politician after news anchor just disregards the truth on this." The Violence Policy center scoffed, calling it a "red herring."

The one thing apparently left on the cutting room floor, which La Jeunesse and I discussed, was that a full 100% of all military ordnance used by the drug cartels comes from sources other than U.S. retail gun stores. Footage abounds of bazookas, RPGs, 40mm grenades and launchers, shoulder-fired rockets, all types of foreign-made hand grenades and similar, which is coming from somewhere... but where? That ordnance must be traceable, but its source seems to be a closely guarded secret, with its existence blotted out of reports on sourcing.

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9- Gunman Stops Himself

The lamestream media told you:

A gunman barricaded the back door of a community center with his car and then opened fire on a room full of immigrants taking a citizenship class Friday, killing 13 people before apparently committing suicide, officials said. Investigators said they had yet to establish a motive for the massacre.

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

"Police said they arrived within two minutes... Police heard no gunfire after they arrived but waited for about an hour before entering the building to make sure it was safe for officers," according to seven AP reporters and their Research Center.

Endless footage of heavily armed police standing around outside, feckless and impotent, dominated news coverage, along with reports of searches of the perpetrator's home, as if it made a difference, and speculation on his motive, as if it made a difference.

The only protect-and-serve provided by officials were cleanup and talking to cameras. Police didn't even end the melee, the shooter had to do that himself.

Officials did make boisterous calls to disarm everyone who didn't do anything, failed to acknowledge that we have totally outlawed what happened, and didn't mention they helped ensure the victims were unarmed. Speculations on the cause lacked any recognition of our eroded moral fabric, lack of religion, debauchery of entertainment, lack of responsibility, removal of manners and civility from schooling, etc. that the public can see but the media apparently cannot.

NYC mayor Bloomberg got copious air time, though it's not his city, but he does have armed agents around him at all times.

At least one police spokesperson lamented, even though police never fired a shot in defense of the slain victims, "We're out gunned." This is simply not true, of course, and is in fact a blatant lie. Virtually every major municipality has access to federally funded full-auto firearms that the public cannot get (unless they buy them from Mexican drug cartels and sneak them over the border).

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10- Firearm Safety Skyrockets

The lamestream media told you:

Guns are too dangerous to own, cause more tragic deaths than almost anything, it's crazy to keep a loaded one in your home, and if guns were outlawed we'd all be so much safer in a beautiful green world.

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

The rate of fatal firearm accidents per 100,000 people is 0.27 nationwide. Motor vehicle accidents top the list at 15.3 (56x worse), poisoning at 6.6 (24x worse) and suffocation and choking 2.0 (7x worse). The rate of deaths from drowning, fires and burns, medical "misadventures," (that's doctor mistakes -- misleadingly labeled misadventures) environmental factors and even bicycle/tricycle accidents are all higher than from firearms.

The United Sportsmen of Florida have compiled two fact sheets that provide a wealth of insight into the safety of gun ownership, hunting and shooting. Citing data sources including the National Center for Health Statistics, the National Safety Council, the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and firearms industry reports, the 2009 Fact Sheet on Firearms Accidents proves that despite a doubling of our country's population since 1930, and a quintupling in the number of privately owned firearms, the annual number of accidental firearms deaths has decreased 75%. In fact, the fatal firearm accident rate has decreased 92% since the all-time high recorded in 1904. http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6597

The report reveals that only 2 people per 100,000 are injured while enjoying the sport of hunting, compared to 2,585 who are injured while playing football, 1,984 basketball players, 1,349 bicycle riders, 1,332 soccer players, 1,296 skateboarders and 1,122 baseball players (all per 100,000).

The reason the "news" media misleads the public on the subject, and exposes people to unpromoted real dangers while shouting about imagined ones, was unclear at press time.

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11- Pelosi's Gun Backfire

The lamestream media told you:

"On Feb. 26, 2009, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he will join House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in opposing any effort to revive the 1994 assault-weapons ban, putting them on the opposite side of the Obama administration," according to The Hill, a leading federal news source. "Reid spokesman Jim Manley said the Nevada Democrat will preserve his traditional pro-gun rights voting record." News outlets everywhere ran the story. http://tinyurl.com/chfvff

Less than six weeks later, on April 7, speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," Pelosi continued, "The ball is in Congress' court to craft a compromise in reinstating regulations on assault weapons. We have to find some level of compromise," she said, using 53 murders by suicidal psychopaths in less than a month as a reason. "And we have to rid the debate of the misconceptions people have about what gun safety means." ABC failed to ask her to reconcile this with her previous statements, or what misconceptions she might be referring to.

The only conditions she mentioned, adding to huge lists of recommendations already made by Democrats, were gun registration and bans on transporting "some" guns across state lines. She also expressed displeasure at the idea that under a bill now in Congress, D.C. residents might regain the civil right to keep and bear arms, at the same time they regain the civil right to vote, calling the right to vote "a civil-rights issue" and dismissing gun rights as an unfair "price to pay." Both rights are included in the pending law.

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

"Everyone who took Pelosi and Reid at their word several weeks ago, when AG Eric Holder called for new federal gun infringements, were suckers," according to the Uninvited Ombudsman. "Cockeyed optimists and dreamers thought they lucked up. What they really got only rhymes with that."

In Mexico, according to the Wall Street Journal, Holder was asked if the administration might encounter constitutional issues as it tries to crack down on alleged gun trafficking. His response: "I don't think our Second Amendment will stand in the way of efforts we have begun and will expand upon."

The nation is now enduring a waiting period to see what sorts of violations of the Bill of Rights the unethical lying scoundrels running Congress concoct. Helatious draft legislation has been in place since before Obama's inauguration. http://www.gunlaws.com/newstuff.htm

For perspective, during the month when 53 unarmed people without police protection were horrifically slaughtered by deranged law breakers before police arrived, 3,100 people died brutally without warning in their automobiles before police arrived.

Critics say that's comparing apples and oranges, and the 3,100 dead people deserve no news attention and no federal action, but the 53 other dead people really do. The dead people, uniformly surprised at their untimely deaths, could not be reached for comment.

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Contents:
(searchable by item number)
1- Antigunners Bypass House
2- 100 Million Guns
3- National Carry Law
4- 100% Mexican Artillery
5- Interrogation Secrets Released
6- Socialism Is Socialism
7- Futile Tax Solutions
8- Government Confiscates Funding
9- Gunman Stops Himself
10- Firearm Safety Skyrockets
11- Pelosi's Gun Backfire
12- Counterintuitive Man Says: The U.S.-Led War On Some Drugs Is A Good Thing!

Page Nine is now a blog! You can sign up for automatic RSS feeds and find a wealth of interesting information at PageNine.org

Thanks for reading!
Alan Korwin
The Uninvited Ombudsman