The UN and Your Civil Rights

When my children were little, one of my husband’s favorite movies was Disney’s animated Robin Hood. Oh, and my kids liked to watch it too. I think they found it fun to see the overtaxed, downtrodden commoners get one up on the corrupt leader. If I close my eyes, I can still hear the voice of Peter Ustinov as Prince John, caterwauling, "I am the King! The King do you hear?!!!" If I close my eyes again, not quite as tightly, I can almost hear that same proclamation coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue these days. Bill Clinton has once again raised his scepter, sending down a decree from on high to the peasants and serfs in the form of the Executive Order.

In recent days, I have not been able to read the news or listen to radio talk shows without running into discussion about a certain Executive Order issued in December of last year, EO #13107, Implementation of Human Right Treaties. The Chief Executive claims that his motive for issuing the Order was to further the cause of human rights around the world. However these treaties coming out of the United Nations carry with them the UN’s brand of human rights. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights upholds "the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion...," and Article 19 affirms "the right to freedom of opinion and expression... and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." However, here’s the catch, Article 29 contains an eye-opening proviso that would have made the Soviet Kremlin proud, "these rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations." So, basically, those who don’t comply need not apply. Isn’t this exactly what our nation’s founders were fleeing?

The most insidious aspect to this particular EO is the language in the very first paragraph which seems to provide a frighteningly effective way to get around the treaty ratification process. "By the authority vested in me as President... and bearing in mind the obligations of the United States pursuant to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights...and other relevant treaties concerned with the protection and promotion of human rights to which the United States is now or may become a party in the future..." The President has basically written himself a blank check for treaty implementation. I was thinking of asking my husband if I can have this kind of blank check the next time I go shopping.

This EO establishes another massive government bureaucracy with the creation of the Interagency Working Group which has among its duties the coordination of all segments of government to meet international human rights obligations. Another of its many precarious obligations will be to develop "effective mechanisms to ensure that legislation proposed by the Administration is reviewed for conformity with international human rights obligations and that these obligations are taken into account in reviewing legislation under consideration by the Congress as well." (EO13107 §4.c.iv.) I am so ignorant. All this time I thought that the Constitution was the filter for legislation in these United States.

Among the treaties that may be swept along in the wake of this Executive Order is The Convention on the Rights of the Child. Just like so many of these international treaties which profess righteous motives, this treaty will strip us of rights. According to Article 13, "The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers..." In other words, parents lose their right to set boundaries for their children based on their own belief system and morals. Another is the UN Treaty of Genocide which says that persuading someone to change his or her religion is a hate crime punishable by international law.

Since its birth, this nation has understood that we are endowed with certain inalienable rights by our Creator. Our government has been granted certain powers by its citizens. Those same citizens also reserve the right to revoke those powers. This is Freedom. Americans apparently do not realize that the international power brokers insist that rights are granted by government and can be easily taken away. This philosophy is rapidly infiltrating our entire system of government, and it starts at the top. V ks