Sen. Jerry Moran speaks out against UN arms treaty

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Right now a potential big headache for President Obama was just a little more than 100 days to go before the general election.

The United Nations could have for its member nations in new treaty on firearms presented by tomorrow.

Critics in America say the thing could undermine americans' constitutional right to bear arms.

Kansas senator Jerry Moran is one of more than fifty senators who say they would vote to block such a treaty if it is presented to them.

Overall senator what is the goal of this treaty what are they trying to accomplish.

Well that's hard to.

Predict you cannot envision any circumstance in which the United Nations is going to do something that improves the circumstances for Americans at least as far as I can see we're dealing with.

Countries who have no similar guarantees that similar to what we have with the Second Amendment.

At the United States constitution and so it we have a group of nations who are coming together to negotiate something that.

-- hardly yet defined but I certainly don't see much of a path in which we see something that would be positive.

To improve the safety security and the freedom of Americans so far this part of the problem is that.

Everything is coming out of draft language there doesn't seem to be -- set in concrete yet I know that.

You and a number of other senators have written the president a letter here's one of the points you make you say first of all.

The -- should explicitly recognize the legitimacy of hunting sport shooting and other lawful activities doesn't it do that.

It does not there's a slight reference our reference in the in the preamble to this draft that we've seen and you're right it's hard to work.

That says take on the attack or to praise whatever might be happening there because everything is draft language and now meetings are occurring with no outside observers.

So it's it's hard to know what the exact language could be.

My sources and -- in New York tell me that the chances of getting an agreement are about 5050.

But if we if there is an agreement.

Almost likely to be almost totally likely to be something that is not advantageous to us and doesn't recognize the Second Amendment to United States constitution.

What -- what we outline and our letter 51 senators and a broad group of folks including eight Democrats.

Are telling the Obama administration that in negotiating this treaty we're not going to agree to.

Anything that today impedes upon the Second Amendment Rights of US citizens but at a pay an agreement.

Ought to include some basic things and one of them ought to be recognizing.

The value of self defense the use of firearms for -- in other recreational activities.

And everything you see in the draft language is more about record keeping is about transit of guns across one's country.

Things that would be very damaging to work to American rights and their liberties.

Oxfam is one of the organizations that has been pushing for this treaty.

-- Spokesman of -- Oxfam said this the treaty is only about the international transfer of civilian weapons.

A transfer means when a weapon both cross is a national boundary and there's a change of title or control.

US gun rights do not involve weapons flowing from one border to another border.

It's only about things domestically within the United States the Second Amendment applies to the use of weapons within the United States essentially they're saying.

Gun owners in the US don't worry.

We're reiterating that to the present -- United States and with a clear message of -- of enough senators who would be needed to ratify this treaty.

51 of us are saying we're not voting for a treaty if it does anything to impede.

The lawful rights of American citizens to under the Second Amendment -- for self defense in the use of firearms.

But you did that the transfer across borders is something that presumably to treaty is designed to address.

But the draft language talks about transferred a fire arms and ammunition with in the country.

And the need for record keeping to occur in order to monitor guns that may come in or leave your country.

And here I just don't see how you get there without intruding upon -- the Second Amendment freedoms very quickly he's.

And under the UN and the US government not powerful enough to control the weather I know ranching and farming huge industries in Kansas.

What do you say to those folks back home were so affected by this -- Well you know we're we're down on our knees every day asking.

-- in prayer asking for rain and moisture.

Now we're also looking up to this guy in hopes that that's the case.

But this is a huge issue we've had that day after day in Kansas and across the midwest of temperatures in excess of -- hundred.

I Norton Kansas this weekend at high an all time record of a 118 waddle and virtually no rain.

In most places in Kansas during that period of time I an estimated already one point five billion dollar crop losses today.

I know a lot of Americans are joining you in those prayers senator -- from -- appreciate that now thank you sir thank you.

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Sen. Jerry Moran speaks out against UN arms treaty

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