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U.S. Department of State web site

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/07/144408.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

United Nations' “International Small Arms Destruction Day

Washington, DC
July 9, 2010

The United States is pleased to join the international community in observing International Small Arms Destruction Day as part of our ongoing efforts to reduce armed violence and support the rule of law around the world.

Excess, loosely secured, or otherwise at-risk small arms, light weapons and munitions pose both a security and humanitarian risk worldwide. Since 2001, when the United Nations first called for an international observance of the impact of illicit flows of small arms and light weapons, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs has invested over $130 million to destroy more than 1.4 million small arms and light weapons, and 80,000 tons of munitions, and almost 32,000 man-portable air-defense systems, which could have posed a threat to global aviation in the hands of terrorists or insurgents.

The United States takes this opportunity to encourage all States to continue implementing relevant UN and regional instruments on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, including the UN Program of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects; The International Instrument on Tracing of Small Arms and Light Weapons; and recommendations made by the UN Group of Governmental Experts to consider further steps to enhance international cooperation in preventing, combating and eradicating illicit brokering in small arms and light weapons.

The United States is the world’s single largest financial supporter of conventional weapons destruction. Since 1993, the United States has promoted peace and security through the commitment of more than $1.5 billion for the safe disposal of small arms, light weapons, and munitions, as well as for removal of landmines and other explosive remnants of war in 47 countries. For more information, please visit the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement at http://www.state.gov/t/pm/wra" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.


I wonder how many of these weapons the U.S. provided to South Vietnam, Afghanistan (when they were fighting the Soviet Union), etc. and at what cost?

Why not sell those to civilians in the US instead of destroying them (for the firearms that would be legal). I imagine they could actually make a profit while ensuring that the firearms go to a good home.

The simple answer to your ? is because then the corrupt govt would have reason to fear the people they seek to rule.

longtooth wrote:The simple answer to your ? is because then the corrupt govt would have reason to fear the people they seek to rule.

Just wait for the next administration. They will start selling them to us again.

We need to get out of the U.N. and stop sending them tons of money. They need us, we don’t need them. Our government sends the U.N. tons of money, raids the Social Security fund for other things, then tells the public that Social Security is going broke.

We need to take care of our own senior citizens that can’t pay for medications and the poor in this country first, and let the rest of the world clean up their own messes for a change.

longtooth wrote:The simple answer to your ? is because then the corrupt govt would have reason to fear the people they seek to rule.

VoiceofReason wrote:We need to get out of the U.N. and stop sending them tons of money. They need us, we don’t need them. Our government sends the U.N. tons of money, raids the Social Security fund for other things, then tells the public that Social Security is going broke.

We need to take care of our own senior citizens that can’t pay for medications and the poor in this country first, and let the rest of the world clean up their own messes for a change.

VoiceofReason wrote:We need to get out of the U.N. and stop sending them tons of money. They need us, we don’t need them. Our government sends the U.N. tons of money, raids the Social Security fund for other things, then tells the public that Social Security is going broke.

We need to take care of our own senior citizens that can’t pay for medications and the poor in this country first, and let the rest of the world clean up their own messes for a change.

SMALL ARMS DESTRUCTION ?????????

That's just cruel !!!!

VoiceofReason wrote:We need to get out of the U.N. and stop sending them tons of money. They need us, we don’t need them. Our government sends the U.N. tons of money, raids the Social Security fund for other things, then tells the public that Social Security is going broke.

We need to take care of our own senior citizens that can’t pay for medications and the poor in this country first, and let the rest of the world clean up their own messes for a change.

Why can't the government stop sending money to the UN, foreign nations, old folks, and the poor? It doesnt have to be a "stop this and do this" we can simply "stop this" without replacing that expense with something else.

I have a bias on this issue.

My father was wounded twice in WWII and discharged with a disability (he was a Medic and at Normandy). He paid into SS for many years. When he died my mother was given the choice of either his disability or SS. Not both. He earned both. I help her as much as I can but the SS she is getting hardly pays the day to day bills. Medical bills and medications are very hard for her to pay.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a high paying job and we need to take care of our elderly. If we are lucky we will all get old and anything can happen before then to wipe out our savings. Just ask the people that worked for Enron, Worldcom, etc.

By the way, I worked for Bell Telephone for fifteen years, hurt my back and was fired. I have been poor through no fault of my own. I have had to bust my butt to get back up.

So instead of selling 1.4m to the public at an average of $200 for $280,000,000 they will waste 1.5b ?