On April 2, the U.N. General Assembly, to a resounding cheer, overwhelmingly approved — 154 in favor, three against and 23 abstaining — the first international treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade. The obvious goal: keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of perpetrators who would wreak havoc upon their victims.
“This is a victory for the world’s people,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. “The arms trade treaty will make it more difficult for deadly weapons to be diverted into the illicit market. It will be a powerful new tool in our efforts to prevent grave human rights abuses or violations of international humanitarian law.”
Iran, North Korea and Syria were the three votes against the treaty. America voted yes, but there is a contingent in our country that is simpatico with the terrible trio and voted a resounding no with them.
It is the National Rifle Association and the congressional politicians the lobbying group has bought and paid for. Their lack of humanity echoes those of Iran, North Korea and Syria, their comrades in firearms.
As the playwright Euripides (480 B.C.-406 B.C.) said, “One can judge a man [organization] by the company he [it] keeps.”
Hardly a new observation.
Peter Koval
Bayside
