Oooh, look out, people. The United Nations is coming to destroy your freedoms and take away your way of life.
Fortunately, we have the far-right Republicans of the Arizona Legislature out there on the front lines protecting us.
The same woman -- Republican Sen. Judy Burges, R-Hateful Old People (aka Sun City West) -- who sponsored Arizona's notorious birther law is back this session with SB 1403, a bill that would prevent Arizona from participating in any kind of legislation that would support the eeeeevil UN "Agenda 21" plan to destroy America through environmental laws.
As Laurie Roberts at the Arizona Republic reports:
“I appear before you to address a United Nations program that is designed to change our way of life, our heritage and our liberties as outlined and protected by our most precious Constitution,” she announced. “I testify to you against the seductive evils contained in the United Nations’ agenda for the 21st Century and more easily stated, Agenda 21.”
The Sun City West Republican has often been on the front lines during her eight years at the Capitol, battling conspiracies of both a global and national nature. So it is no surprise that she is back again this year with Senate Bill 1403, a proposal that appears to undo decades of environmental protections, limit citizen access to information about hazardous materials and in general leave people – the ones who don’t embrace tin foil for its millinery properties — scratching their heads.
Burges’ bill, simply put, would bar state or local government from abiding by any of the principles set forth in the United Nations Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.
Agenda 21, as it’s called, is a non binding agreement approved in 1992 during a UN conference in Rio de Janeiro. Basically, it’s a list of principles detailing how communities can better conserve natural resources.
But if you’re Burgess, it’s a plot to destroy America.
“The truth contained within this United Nations program depicts something sinister and dark,” she told her fellow lawmakers. “The plan calls for government to take control of all land use and not leave any decisions in the hands of private property owners. It is assumed by the backers of Agenda 21 that people are not good stewards of the land and the government will do a better job if it’s in control. Individual rights are to be given away to the global community as determined by a global governing body, not by local elected representatives … and folks, not even your state Legislature. Furthermore, the contents of the United Nations program reveal that people should be rounded up off their own land and relocated to human settlements close to employment centers and transportation hubs.”
Burges has trotted out this bill previously. As before, this bill would effectively preempt the state from enforcing any water-quality, air-quality, or other environmental laws. Which is just peachy, as far as today's Republicans are concerned. Even Richard Nixon would be rolling in his grave.
