The United Nations is expected to pass an international treaty that will give disabled people more rights. The idea is to replace charity with rights to be enforced by an international government.
Critics in the United States believe this move is part and parcel of the United Nations goal of creating more international power over nation-states. Recently, in another power grap, the UN proposed an international tax on businesses and individuals in order to feed, clothe and house the impoverished.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted and the treaty is likely to be adopted by the UN General Assembly during their next session.
This is the first human rights treaty to be passed in the 21st century and will serve an estimated 650 million disabled people in the world. Currently only 45 countries have special legislation protecting the disabled, including the United States with its Americans with Disabilities Act.
Ambassador Don MacKay of New Zealand said, ''It [the convention] will force states to develop a different way of thinking about disability issues. Once you get the paradigm shift... and people adopt a 'can do' rather than a 'can't do' approach, a whole lot of other things flow from there."
Parking and accessibility are a part of the treaty but the real goal is to have all countries agree to ensure the disabled equal rights to others. While cloaked in compassion, this power grab would give the United Nations jurisdiction over American businesses, especially small business owners who will have to pay for the UN's standards such as wheelchair accessibility and special accommodations for the disabled.
The United States, however, reportedly will not be signing the treaty, stating that the laws and regulation contained in the ADA are comprehensive enough. Conservatives are loath to give an organization that is ineffective at best, dangerous at worst, more power over citizens within the US.
"I believe this is a trojan horse designed to get Americans and other countries' citizens accustomed to an international government, " said political analyst Mike Baker.
"They start off with so-called "solidarity taxes" and laws to help the disabled that clears the way for other international laws that will impact upon US citizens," he said.
However, Maria Raina, coordinator of the international disability caucus, said she believes the US will probably end up signing the treaty. She claims signing the treaty is more about agreeing to the principles, not the laws.
But Ms. Raina's comments are deceptive. If the US signs the treaty, organizations representing the interests of the disabled will be able to bypass the US government and bring their cases to the United Nations headquarters located in New York City, which will make it more convenient for Americans to file frivilous lawsuits.
The powers that exist within the UN have already proven themselves hostile to the United States which increases the probability of punitive actions against the US government and individuals residing and doing business in the US.
Representatives from the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and Israel objected to the treaty's text in a separate vote. The Israeli representative called it “a clear attempt to politicise the convention”.
References to sexual and reproductive health -- which conservatives in the US believe will include abortion -- with regard to health care, as well as other language, such as the definition of disability, have also drawn opposition. For instance the US and Japan had problems with listing drug addiction as a disability.
The phrase "reproductive health" is controversial at the UN. The phrase is defined by radical groups and rogue UN committees to indicate support for legal abortion, although the General Assembly has never given approval to that interpretation.
The US mission to the UN has stated that it opposes to the convention on the grounds that it would dilute the strength of US legislation. But it said, "Washington fully supports the improvement of international standards for the disabled."
“In the beginning, the US was silent,” Grandia said of the nearly five-year process leading to a treaty draft.
“Since then, the US has contributed a lot with negotiations, but we know they won’t ratify,” she added.
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for a number of organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores. Kouri holds a bachelor of science in criminal justice and master of arts in public administration and he's a board certified protection professional.
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