Guns and Globalization: Policy and Legislation

Atefeh, Beverly, Danielle, JamieOctober 26, 2016

Class Activity

Globalization - Blue - the process in which people, ideas and goods spread throughout the world, spurring more interaction and integration between the world's cultures, governments and economies.

Neoliberalism - Yellow -pervasive set of beliefs that favors unregulated markets and minimal government intervention. Values private property rights, individual liberty, and free trade.

5 minutes.

Keep activity in mind during presentation, we will refer back!

Presentation Framework Pro-Gun & Neoliberalism

Scholars: Luigi Esposito, Laura L. Finley

Pro-Gun/Anti-Gun Control & Globalization Scholars: Natalie J. Goldring, Suzette Grillot

Globalization from the top down vs. bottom up

“The ultimate check on tyrannical government was an armed population."

"I see a great deal of the property (slaves) of the people of Virginia in jeopardy, and their peace and tranquility gone." Patrick Henry

History of Gun Control Debate

National Rifle Association (NRA)American non-profit (single issue) organization

advocating for gun rights

Founded in 1871

Oldest continuously operating “civil rights”

organization in the U.S.

One of the top 3 most influential lobbying groups in

Washington

From marksmanship group to pro-gun lobby

Started lobbying for and against legislation in 1975

Neoliberalism and Pro-Gun Politics Neoliberalism emphasizes extreme individualism, competition, and self gain

Gun control is a sign that we are facing the threat of tyranny

Government intervention a threat to a free society

Gun industry benefits from neoliberalism

Defend Your Right to Self-Defense

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZWlotIlYXI

(NRA)

Commercial Comparison

Ed -- A Petition For Stronger Gun Laws

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LORVfnFtcH0

(States United To Prevent Gun Violence)

Birth of WFSA and IANSA

UN Arms Trade Treaty First major attempt at international arms control - eventually did pass after 20 years.

Main Goal: Prevent arms from being used for human rights abuses or terrorism

UN will support states in standardizing import and export regulations and tracking destination of imports and exports

Source: IANSA

Source: IANSA

WFSA & IANSA StrategiesIANSA

Generation of proposals for controlling the legal and illicit trade in small arms.

Fought for “Human right to a secure and safe environment.”

Encouraged governments to do more

WFSA

Limiting gun control efforts

Did not like UN involvement in the US right to bear arms.

Encouraged governments to do less

Brazil

Canada

NRA intervention in Brazil2005 Referendum would have banned the sale of guns and ammunition to

private citizens

Initially expected to pass, but ultimately was rejected

NRA credited with the defeat of the referendum

“If gun control proponents succeed in Brazil, America will be next”

IANSA intervention in BrazilGoal was civil disarmament

Gun laws strengthened in 2003

Gun death rate dropped 8% from 2003 to 2004

Not as successful as the NRA

TED talk clip: https://www.ted.com/talks/ilona_szabo_de_carvalho_4_lessons_i_learned_from_taking_a_stand_against_drugs_and_gun_violence#t-382363

NRA intervention in Canada1990s - NRA threatens to boycott hunting in Canada if gun control is introduced

NRA allies with pro-gun groups in Canada

2012 - Canada’s gun registry law is appealed

The ownership records of 5.6 million guns are destroyed

Canadian pro gun groups credit NRA for this success

“The National Rifle Association is one American export Canada does not want.”-Jean Chretien, Former Canadian Prime Minister

UN

NRA & IANSA Involvement

UN: Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)The Arms Trade Treaty can be traced back to 1990’s

The NRA decided to go global around the mid-90’s, when the UN started becoming interested in regulating the small arms trade

They registered as an NGO so they could lobby the UNTook nearly 20 years to adopt

Member states must monitor arms exports and ensure they are not used for human rights abuses or terrorism.

Signed Ratified Acceded

So where has global gun control policy actually been passed?

Australia, Germany

Africa - Regional treaties

UN

How our policies have changed after mass shootings

Crisis-induced Policy Change

Africa1998 - The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) established in the Moratorium on

Importation, Exportation and Manufacture of Light Weapons in West Africa.

2000 - Numerous Declarations developed to address small arms in the African context

2001 - Members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) established the only legally binding document, the Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and other Related Materials in the Southern African Development Community Region

Great-Power ConsensusPut forth by scholar Suzette Grillot

“Great-power states, such as the United States, China, and Russia, must agree or be vulnerable to pro control rhetoric in order for their be binding policies and actions.”

Sources 1. Achenbach, J., Higham, S., & Horwitz, S. (2013, January 12). How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a

mighty gun lobby. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-nras-true-believers-converted-a-marksmanship-group-into-a-mighty-gun-lobby/2013/01/12/51c62288-59b9-11e2-88d0-c4cf65c3ad15_story.html

2. Batchelor, P. (2002). NGO Perspectives: NGOs and the Small Arms Issue. Disarmament Forum, No. 1, pp. 37-40.3. Esposito, L., & Finley, L. (2014). Beyond Gun Control: Examining Neoliberalism, Pro-gun Politics and Gun Violence in the

United States. TIA, 7(2), 74-103. doi:10.3798/tia.1937-0237.140114. Global gun control: examining the consequences of competing international norms.. The Free Library. (2014). Retrieved Oct 20

2016 from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Global+gun+control%3a+examining+the+consequences+of+competing...-a0277602608

5. Goldring, Natalie J, “The NRA Goes Global,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, (1999) 5”5:1, 61-656. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00963402.1999.11460298?needAccess=true7. Grillot, Suzette R. "Global Gun Control: Examining the Consequences of Competing International Norms." Global

Governance 1 (2011): 529-55. Print.8. Morton, David. "Gunning For the World." Foreign Policy. Foreign Policy, 19 Oct. 2009. Web.9. http://foreignpolicy.com/2009/10/19/gunning-for-the-world/10. Gun Policy. Org , United Nations, http://www.gunpolicy.org/

1. Hartmann, T. (2013, January 15). The Second Amendment Was Ratified to Preserve Slavery. Truthout. Retrieved from http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/13890-the-second-amendment-was-ratified-to-preserve-slavery

2. Hurka, S., & Nebel, K. (2013). Framing and policy change after shooting rampages: a comparative analysis of discourse networks. Journal of European Public Policy, 20(3), 390-406.

3. International Action Network on Small Arms. UN Small Arms Process. IANSA. Retrieved from http://www.iansa.org/4. Sandy, M. (n.d.). Brazil Seeks to Copy U.S. Gun Culture. Retrieved October 26, 2016, from http://time.com/4108421/brazil-u-s-gun-culture/5. UN Small Arms Process. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2016, from http://www.iansa.org/campaign/un-small-arms-process6. Nahama, N., & Brufatto, J. (n.d.). What the U.S. can learn from Brazil’s epidemic of gun violence. Retrieved October 26, 2016, from

http://www.latitudenews.com/story/what-the-u-s-obama-can-learn-from-brazils-epidemic-of-gun-violence-newtown/7. MacDonald, F. (n.d.). Massive study of Australia's gun laws shows one thing: They work. Retrieved October 26, 2016, from

http://www.sciencealert.com/20-year-review-of-australia-s-gun-laws-has-one-clear-finding-they-work

8. Irwin, N. (2016, June 14). After Mass Shootings, It's Often Easier to Buy a Gun. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/upshot/policy-changes-after-mass-shootings-tend-to-make-guns-easier-to-buy.html?_r=1

9. Vandercoy, D. (1994). The History of the Second Amendment. Valparaiso University Law Review, 1007-1039.

Sources