Reader Tim Tritt apparently expressed his concerns over the UN Arms Trade Treaty and got the following response from one of his senators.
Dear Timothy:
Thank you for writing to express your concerns about possible ratification of an international treaty aimed at stemming the proliferation of small arms and light weapons worldwide. I appreciate hearing your views on this issue and welcome the opportunity to respond . . .
I understand you have serious concerns about this proposed treaty. The purpose of the ongoing negotiations is to draft a legally binding treaty on the export, import, and international transfer on conventional weapons. It will not address the personal ownership of guns or gun owners’ rights. The actual drafting of the treaty will take place in 2012.
Please know that I strongly support this process. According to Amnesty International, more than 500,000 people per year are killed with conventional arms, and almost 60% of documented human rights violations have involved the use of small arms and light weapons. Further, the Small Arms Survey estimates that there are more than 875 million firearms in the world today, roughly one firearm for every seven people worldwide. These numbers help to underscore the fact that a majority of the deaths in conflicts worldwide are small arms-related.
While we do not necessarily agree on this particular issue, please know that your views are important to me, and I will keep them in mind should the Senate discuss ratification of such a treaty.
Again, thank you for writing. I hope that you will continue to write on matters of importance to you. Should you have any further comments or questions, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.
Sincerely yours,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator