The Right of Resistance

Recently, the United Nations held a commission on the trade of small arms, where it was attempted to ban gun sales to "non-state actors". This should be a highly disturbing revelation. While the idea of keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists is a noble idea, it also tightens the grip of tyranny worldwide. Had the UN gotten their way, the Kurds fighting for their lives in Iran and Iraq would be unable to get guns on the international market. Had this treaty been signed in World War II the French Resistance would have been unable to fight Nazi oppression. Had it been signed in the 1770’s, the American Revolution would have never happened.

Yes, guns can be used to hurt, kill, and maim, and in the wrong hands can be used to inflict tyranny. However, without individual gun ownership, tyranny will also flourish. The first step for the usurpation of power is ensuring that the citizenry cannot resist the state. Every state which has wished to inflict tyranny has first disarmed their citizens. Adolf Hitler disarmed the German people in 1938, shortly before the extermination of millions. Guatemala banned firearms in 1964, then proceded to systematically execute thousands of Mayan Indians. These "Lethal Laws" lead to the kind of genocide that the United Nations should be standing up against. The fact is, this kind of legislation takes power away from the people, and into the hands of governments that may or may not be stable. While I doubt that the US governnment would round up ethnic minorities, I wouldn’t be willing to stake the lives of millions of Mayans, Kurds, or Jews on the assumption that other governments would be so kind. Luckily, the US "unilaterally" "isolated itself" in the words of Tom Daschle, killing some of the more egregious parts of the treaty and helping preserve the freedom of millions worldwide.