The Shock of Clear Speech

Michelle Malkin points to a Cam Edwards report at Townhall.com on international gun control:

A remarkable thing happened at the United Nations yesterday. We, the United States, told the world “no”. The messenger was Robert Joseph, the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Speaking before the dozens of nations that have gathered for the review conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Joseph told the world in no uncertain terms where the United States stood.

“The U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of our citizens to keep and bear arms, and there will be no infringement of those rights,” he proclaimed to the dignitaries and functionaries. “The United States will not agree to any provisions restricting civilian possession, use or legal trade of firearms inconsistent with our laws and practices.”

Malkin wonders--not--why mainstream media isn't covering this. Nothing in the hard-copy Post. A Reuters dispatch was made available online at washingtonpost.com last night, and is not entirely worthless:

President George W. Bush's administration, a strong supporter of the National Rifle Association, is fiercely protective of the right of Americans citizens to arm themselves and the U.S. delegation to the meeting is salted with NRA activists.

In line with that stand, Joseph said the United States would oppose any moves to restrict civilian possession, use or legal trade of firearms. Washington also would oppose any attempt to regulate ammunition, he said.

And while it would continue to oppose "terrorist groups" acquiring arms, "we recognize the rights of the oppressed to defend themselves against tyrannical and genocidal regimes and oppose a blanket ban on non-state actors," Joseph said, referring to non-government fighters such as rebel groups.

Interesting, though, that it doesn't include Joseph's clarion call--music to my ears and to those of the salted NRA activists: “The U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of our citizens to keep and bear arms, and there will be no infringement of those rights”