and states to obtain, possess, and use arms for legitimate purposes. make no mistake, we would never think about supporting a treaty that is inconsistent with the rights of americans, the rights of american citizens to be able to exercise their guaranteed rights under or constitution. joining me now, mark fulman, senior editor at mother jones. mark the treaty has to get ratified by the united states senate. a tough chore with the nra standing in the way. but this notion that this treaty has any impact on american law in any way, how is the nra creating that fiction? well, you know, lawrence. this is classic nra. they have been pushing the myth for years. they were pushing it long before this treaty even existed.
it was just talk. this is how they operate, they appeal to paranoia to promote their agenda. which is protecting the gun manufacturing business. so whenever anything comes up that is remotely in the frame of regulating weapons, they have this kind of scorched earth approach that has no basis in reality. as you know, the, treaty is focused on keeping conventional weapons from being trafficked to jen warlord, criminals, you would think the political right would be all for that. but you know the right-wing elements in congress are standing against it. they re aligned with the nra on this one. if it s because they are behind this agenda which really has the no basis in reality. this is an attempt on their part to preserve trafficking in weapons that can and will at some point be aimed at american
concerned with preserving massive sales of firearms for its, the firearms companies that support it. i think that s right. and you said, there is nothing in the law that suggests what they say is at all true. there is no basis for believing that this will lead to confiscation of guns or to or to infringement upon americans rights as secretary of state kerry reiterated this week. it s essential codified in the treaty which really is symbolic more than anything. it creates a set of international guidelines but not enforceable domestically in the united states. and you know, all of that being said. the nra isn t interested in talking about it. they want to hold a 100% line against anything that has to do with regulating firearms. you know one of the ironies here too is, they re political right loves to beat of on the united nations. they always portray it as a
for years. they were pushing it long before this terre hauty even sxised. it was just talk. this is how they operate, they appeal to paranoia to promote their jenagenda. which is protecting the gun manufacturing business. so whenever anything comes up that is remotely in the frame of regulating weapons, they have this kind of scorched earth approach that has no basis in reality. as you know, the, treaty is focused on keeping conventional weapons from being trafficked to jen warlord, criminals, you would think the political right would be all for that. but you know the right-wing elements in congress are standing against it. they re aligned with the nra on this one. if it s because they are behind this agenda which really has the no basis in reality. this is an attempt on their
feckless, ineffective, international body that the u.s. should have no part of. here it is more convenient for them to portray it as a body that has great power. enough power to trump the united states constitution. when it comes to firearms which is frankly absurd. what are the hurdles for ratification of this treaty in the united states senate? well my understanding is it need a 2/3 majority to pass. good luck with this congress getting anything passed, let alone that kind of majority. so it s probably pretty unlikely. and you, you have had senators stand in the way of this in the past. you know we had a story in mother jones a couple years ago, about senator rand paul who actually fund raised on the issue. he sent out a newsletter, constituents, asking for money. and he pushed this myth that this treaty would lead to mass confiscation of americans guns. you know, facts be damned. there are members of congress who support the nra agenda on