4/25/97 Senator Lott’s War On The Bill Of Rights

Gun Owners Disapprove of Sen. Lott’s War on the Bill of Rights
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:  Kathleen Gennaro   703/321-8585
April 25, 1997

(Washington, D.C.) — Gun Owners of America today joined several groups in expressing public regret over Senator Trent Lott’s leadership during debate over the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) — a treaty aimed at banning certain types of weapons. While much of the coalition has various reasons for opposing the treaty, gun owners are specifically concerned about its assault on the American Bill of Rights.

“The Fourth and Fifth Amendments protect gun owners,” said GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt. “But this treaty will eventually endanger everyone’s rights.

“Two hundred years ago, King George tried to use general warrants to search for and seize American’s property. We fought a war over it. Now, we’re using a treaty to give foreign King Georges who are unaccountable to the American people the same power to run around the protections in the Bill of Rights. This is insane,” Pratt said.

“It defies credulity that our government would seek to give international observers the ability to inspect U.S. property without a warrant, and even seize American goods without probable cause,” said Pratt.

GOA joined almost 40 conservative organizations and talk show hosts earlier this month to elicit Senator Lott’s opposition to the CWC. “Lott’s decision to support the treaty, despite its constitutional problems, is an indication of the poor regard the U.S. Senate has for our most basic liberties,” Pratt said.