Editing 76-16-B3 (section)

= Property Rights =

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=== Transcript ===
Speaking on British Broadcasting in early May, President Carter pledged
anew his commitment to human rights. This was reaffirmation of his call on
March 17 to the United Nations General Assembly for creation of a Human Rights
Division and the creation of a new post in the United Nations, "High Commissioner
for Human Rights".

So far so good. But on that March day, he also announced he would ask
Congress for approval of his signing the U.N. Covenant on Economic
Cultural Rights.

One wonders if the President is aware of what his signing of those
two covenants would do to one of our most precious rights, the right to
ownership of property. Both covenants bar that traditional right.

In 1973, the U. N. published a review called "United Nations Action In
the Field of Human Rights" It covered everything the U.N. has done in that
field since 1948 when the General Assembly adopted a "Universal Declaration
of Human Rights". That original declaration stated in article 17 that,
"Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with
others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property."

But there have been some changes since 1948. There is now, in the U.N.
a voting bloc of 114 nations, most ruled by Marxist or military dictatorships.
This Third World bloc has successfully barred the original Declaration of
property rights from being included in the two covenants. As those covenants
are written now, it would be contrary to our own Constitution for Congress to
ratify and the President to sign them. Our 5th Amendment says that "no person
shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law,
nor shall any private property be taken for public use without just compensation."
Our 14th amendment prevents any state from making any law which abridges
those guaranteed rights.

Both U.N. covenants specifically exclude compensation for private property
seized for public use. This is in keeping with U.N. Declaration of Permanent
Sovereignty adopted in 1962, to which the United States strongly objects.
The covenants are of course anti-colonial measures. They are designed to permit
expropriation or nationalization of foreign investment. In short, they
sanction the right of theft.

Notwithstanding the fact that the covenants violate the 5th and 14th
amendments to our Constitution, once our Congress and President accept them, they
supercede our Constitution. We are unique in all the world in that treaties
we enter into become the supreme law of the land.

There has been some quibbling about whether the covenants are recognized
as treaties. That, however, is answered specifically in the U.N. passage on
implementation where it is stated the covenants are indeed regarded as
international treaties.

Let us hope that before anyone puts pen to paper, they will put in a few
hours with a battery of brilliant and persuasive lawyers.

Yes, we support the ideal of human rights. And, in our concept of human rights,
ownership of private property is included. Indeed, it is basic to
our liberty and our pursuit of happiness. 

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.
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=== Details ===
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<TR><TD WIDTH="150">Batch Number</TD><TD WIDTH="150">{{PAGENAME}}</TD></TR>
<TD>Production Date</TD><TD>07/06/[[Radio1977|1977]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Book/Page</TD><TD>[[Radio_Commentary_Books#Reagan:_In_His_Own_Hand|RihoH-167]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Audio</TD><TD></TD></TR>
<TD>Youtube?</TD><TD>No</TD></TR>
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===Added Notes===

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