Julianne Versnel, Second Amendment Foundation Director of Operations.
On Oct. 28, Julianne Versnel, director of operations for the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), addressed the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of both SAF and the International Association for the Protection of Civilian Arms Rights (IAPCAR), of which SAF is a founding member.
IAPCAR members currently include 31 groups from 21 countries on 6 continents representing tens of millions of firearm owners concerned about civilian arms rights.
Versnel addressed the topic of violence against women and the natural human right of self-defense, and it was not her first time speaking at the UN with respect to the international push for control of small arms, including those used for self-defense and recreation.
After introducing herself, she said:
“Mr. Chairman, more people die every day from malaria than are murdered by small arms in three days.
“More women and children die from starvation each day than are murdered by small arms in a 15 day period.
“More women die each day due to urgent medical care being denied them by systems that allow their male relatives to refuse care every day than are murdered by small arms.”
The facts used to support her presentation were footnoted to the original source documents.
“More women are living in isolation because of societal ostracization caused by physical and mental disfigurements inflicted on them by men each year than are murdered with small arms,” she continued… “The acid burn victims in India, the 12-year-old dehumanized brides in Afghanistan, the women raped by armed-gangs in Mexico, and the mutilated, and do not forget murdered, victims of honor violence that occurs even in Europe, the Americas and Australia are just a few examples of these unspeakable crimes against women.
“Gender violence often is perpetrated by male familial members of their families who do so with immunity and impunity—and in many instances with governments turning a blind eye—condoning or even endorsing—the violence. To quote Amnesty International: ‘Perpetrators of violence against women are rarely held accountable for their acts. Women who are victims of gender-related violence often have little recourse because many state agencies are themselves guilty of gender bias and discriminatory practices. Violence against women is so deeply embedded in society that it often fails to garner public censure and outrage.’
“Mr. Chairman,” Versnel continued, “the United Nations recognizes the right of governments to defend themselves, and to possess the means of doing so. Yet this body perpetuates the situation that keeps the number of women victims growing by denying them, and in fact all human beings, the means to—and decrying even their right to—defend themselves. They are the victims not of small arms, but of political philosophies and state policies that say only governments are worthy of defending themselves. To argue that people have the right to live but not to defend their lives is to argue in favor of continuing to keep women at risk of criminal violence in places where government does little to protect them
“Mr. Chairman, this body must address the right of women to defend themselves and their right to have the physical means—including firearms—of doing so. Or, acknowledge the hypocrisy inherent in proclaiming support for women’s causes while keeping them vulnerable to male-perpetuated criminal violence.”
The list of non-government (civil society) speakers also addressing the General Assembly included others who support the right to civilian small arms ownership, as well as those who have been campaigning for international small arms control for many years.
The UN Arms Trade Treaty, just one of several international initiatives to disarm civilian populations, has now been accepted by 52 nations and will be in force as of Dec. 24 of this year. While Secretary of State John Kerry signed the ATT on behalf of the Obama Administration, a majority of the US Senate has informed the White House that it will not approve the treaty.
