A good time was had by all. As a side note... the U.N. does not belive in free speech. A number of us tried to get into the U.N. with shirts that said "Visualize World Police" around the U.N. Seal... they would not allow those shirts inside. They brought out extra armed security to keep us out.
Originally published on Sierra Times
Another David Defeats A Goliath
Jim Crispino 07.27.01
The relatively small group of protesters which gathered at the U.N. Plaza on Saturday, July 14th, 2001, to protest the UN's conference on small arms, had an international impact, when the conference was forced to approve a non-binding Program of Action, minus two key paragraphs which U.S. delegates refused to approve. One would have required the U.S. "to seriously consider legal restrictions on unrestricted trade in and ownership of small arms and light weapons." The other, would have us agree "to supply small arms and light weapons only to governments, or to entities duly authorized by governments." Both appear to set the stage for a government monopoly on firepower, which is contrary to the founding principles of this country.
The protesters, numbering about 500, loudly proclaimed throughout the day, that the U.S. needs to get out of the UN, and that the UN needs to get out of the U.S. Speakers continually aroused the group by expounding on the importance of U.S. sovereignty, and 2nd amendment rights. They even had a patriotic rock and roll band, Pokerface, for entertainment.
Did the U.S. delegates actually hear them? Probably not. But their presence was felt, to be sure.
To understand how this small group could have such international impact, one must understand the pro-gun culture in this country. The 80 million U.S. gun owners are consistently represented by a mere handful of activists at such gatherings. A typical turnout for a gun rights rally can be as little as 20 persons. It took the efforts of dozens of people, planning and promoting for 8 months, to get 200 people to show up for the March For Liberty in Washington, DC, in October, 2000. The same again for the March for Liberty II in October of 2001.
On occasion, the seriousness of a threat to freedom will motivate a larger group to attend, and usually, the results are dramatic. On Mother's Day, 2000, a 50,000 Mom March (Called the Million Mom March, but actually a concert) took place in Washington, DC, to insist that congress pass a slew of new gun control measures. Meanwhile, 5,000 pro-gun moms gathered nearby. The result? No new gun control measures made it through session.
This past spring, in Connecticut, gun owners killed a near fascist like "Assault Weapons" ban, by turning out 700 at the capitol in Hartford. This despite overwhelming control of the house and senate by the Democratic Party, known for favoring gun control legislation.
It matters little, the exact number of participants that gather. What matters is how that number compares to the norm. 20,000 left wing radicals tearing up a city is the norm for that group. 20 peaceful gun owners is the norm for the gun-rights group. When 2,000,000 left wing radicals tear up a city, they may get taken seriously. When 500 or 1000 gun owners show up, they DO get taken seriously.
The 20,000 left wing radicals represent almost their entire group. The 20 gun owners are representing 80 million others. That fact is not overlooked in Washington. They knew that the 500 in NYC on the 14th, meant that the 80 million are very very wary of the UN agenda. Agreeing to the two paragraphs which would erode U.S sovereignty and 2nd amendment rights, would have been political suicide.
Another factor is the huge e-mail and letter writing campaign which preceded the rally. If 500 gun owners show up, it probably means that 50,000 others took time to write their representatives.
Again, these numbers are relative. On issues of a less serious nature, a representative might receive ten or twenty letters at most. When he gets 500, he has to take notice, It means the gun "nuts" are serious about this one!
Gun owners need to wake up to the fact that they are a very powerful force in politics. If 500 can stop the NWO, at least temporarily, imagine what 500,000 could do? Constitutional restoration would no longer be a dream. It would be a reality.
