The United Nations defines human rights violations as deprivation of life; torture, cruel or degrading treatment or punishment; slavery and forced labor; arbitrary arrest or detention; arbitrary interference with privacy; war propaganda; discrimination; and advocacy of racial or religious hatred. In 1997 the U.S. Congress passed the “Leahy Laws” which cutoff security aid to specific units of foreign militaries if the Pentagon and the State Department determine a country has committed a gross violation of human rights, such as shooting civilians or summarily executing prison…
Read more84% Yes |
16% No |
76% Yes |
10% No |
4% Yes, and ban all sales to countries with human rights violations |
6% No, this could prevent our allies from defending themselves against our mutual enemies |
3% Yes, but I would prefer a ban on all military aid to any foreign countries |
See how support for each position on “Weapon Sales Ethics” has changed over time for 3.7k America voters.
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See how importance of “Weapon Sales Ethics” has changed over time for 3.7k America voters.
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Unique answers from America users whose views extended beyond the provided choices.
@9MLFTSW4wks4W
Country should be vetted to make sure the weapons are not used against American interests or being funneled to adversaries.
@9NPFHMM2wks2W
i do belive there should be restrictions on it but i also believe that allies should have the ability to protect themselves
@9NX7MLB1wk1W
This may sound wrong but it depends on whether or not it benefits the United States and their citizens
@9NQVP7L1wk1W
The United States government needs to be extremely careful about the possibility of escalating military conflict through arming combatants. There are many reasons, including the fact that it is typically not right to try to choose winners and losers internationally, and the fact that we may in some cases be enabling serious human rights abuses (objectively considered, not as defined by the UN) by providing weaponry that is highly regulated for possession by US citizens.
@9J9GJYS5mos5MO
No, there could be political issues with allied nations however The countries that are accused of human rights violations should have some kind of investigation and if they are violating human rights then stop selling weapons to them.
@9J9G6DX5mos5MO
No, accusations should be investigated though, and if proven to be true, potentially prevent future trade.
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