Just when I think that I have seen the NRA take the most ridiculous position possible on guns, I become aware of an even more extreme position taken by the NRA on guns. Here is the latest example.
According to The Washington Post, the NRA is opposing The Arms Trade Treaty. That treaty, on which negotiations will resume on Monday,
would require countries to determine whether weapons they sell would be used to commit serious human rights violations, terrorism or transnational organized crime
. . .
The treaty, which has been years in the making, would cover battle tanks, artillery, combat aircraft, warships and missiles as well as small arms and light weapons. Global sales of conventional arms reach tens of billions of dollars annually, and the biggest players are the United States, China and Russia.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Despite the potential that this treaty would help human rights throughout the world, the NRA is opposed to the treaty because
the treaty could infringe on gun rights as understood in the United States and could force Americans onto an international registry.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
The NRA also opposes the treaty because it claims that civilian arms would be included in the treaty. Amnesty International believes that the NRA's position is nonsense. According to Michelle A. Ringuette, chief of campaigns and programs at Amnesty International USA,
The NRA claim that there is such a thing as ‘civilian weapons’ and that these can and need to be treated differently from military weapons under the Arms Trade Treaty is — to put it politely — the gun lobby’s creativity on full display,” Ringuette said in a statement. “There is no such distinction. To try to create one would create a loophole that would render the treaty inoperative, as anyone could claim that he or she was in the business of trading ‘civilian weapons.’ ”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/....
Negotiations on the treaty are being reopened on Monday. According to The Washington Post article, it is likely that an agreement will be reached.