Scholars continue to debate the influence of the Iroquois Confederacy’s oral constitution on the United States Constitution. One thing we know: adherents to the Great Law of Peace weren’t big fans of the right to keep and bear arms . . .
When peace shall have been established by the termination of the war against a foreign nation, then the War Chief shall cause all the weapons of war to be taken from the nation. Then shall the Great Peace be established and that nation shall observe all the rules of the Great Peace for all time to come.
“Great peace for all time to come.” How gun control theology is that? Anyway, New Mexico’s daily-times.com reports that the Navajo Nation is showing similar disregard for the natural right to armed self-defense.
A proposal that would require people living on the Navajo Nation to register their firearms is working its way to the tribal council.
The bill proposes individuals who reside on tribal lands and own firearms – including automatic guns, rifles, shotguns and antique firearms – register those weapons with the Navajo Nation Police Department, which would maintain a central registry.
According to the bill, the registry would record a firearm’s serial number, a date of registration and the owner’s name and address. If the Navajo Nation Council approves the measure and the tribal president signs it into law, gun owners would have up to 180 days to register.
The arguments for the new mandate comes from the usual sorts of suspects:
Delegate Davis Filfred, who said he and his father have served in law enforcement, identified his reasons for sponsoring the bill as creating accountability for gun owners and helping law enforcement identify firearms used in criminal activities.
“It’s to have better gun control. …I want accountability,” said Filfred, who represents Aneth Chapter in Utah and Mexican Water, Red Mesa, Teec Nos Pos and Tólikan chapters in Arizona . . .
Navajo Nation Police Chief Phillip Francisco said he would support a gun registry since it can help law enforcement officials address public safety issues.
Just like the gun registration scheme in, say, New York state, the Navajo’s new mandate flies in the face of constitutional law. Or does it?
The right to keep and bear arms for peaceful purposes exists in the Navajo Nation Bill of Rights but under a section of tribal law that addresses law and order, it is a crime to carry a loaded firearm or other types of deadly weapons on your person.
The law has exceptions for peace officers, possession in residences or in the trunks or glove boxes of motor vehicles, for hunting, or for use as part of any traditional Navajo religious practices, ceremonies or services.
Just goes to show how prescient America’s Founding Fathers were when they wrote those simple words “the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” And how universal the desire to use disarmament as means of political and social control.