—. UN Covenant not equivalent to Bill of Rights

UN Covenant

not equivalent

to Bill of Rights

To the Editor:

Our nation’s Founding Fathers held that rights were given to man by God. When they wrote the Bill of Rights, therefore, they said that “Congress shall make no law” regarding rights to free speech, practice of religion, free press, etc. They held that God-given rights transcend any power of government and government shall have nothing to say about them.

On April 2, however, the U.S. Senate ratified the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Enthusiasts for the UN always state that this Covenant is the equivalent of our Bill of Rights. It certainly is not!

Over and over, the UN Covenant acknowledges the existence of rights, with no mention of their Godgiven origin, and then reserves the power to cancel them out of existence.

Article 18, for instance, mentions freedom of thought, conscience and religion. But “freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law.” If the UN passes a law, there is no freedom of religion.

Article 19 discusses freedom of expression and then mentions the power to impose restrictions that “are provided by law and are necessary.”

Article 21 mentions the right of peaceful assembly which may be restricted “in conformity with the law.”

The UN Covenant is a blueprint for tyrannical suppression of Godgiven rights. Our senators should not have ratified it and the people of this nation had better begin to understand that the UN wants power to suspend all rights. In conformity with UN law, of course! There is, in fact, no protection of rights under the UN system. If allowed to proceed, the UN will soon inform Americans that our precious Bill of Rights has been superseded by its own subversive Covenant.

NORMAN G. PEIL

Marshall