Speech Given at July 14th, 2001 Anti-UN Rally
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York

I would first like to thank the Tyranny Response Team for having me speak here today. I would also like to thank the group PokerFace for performing for all of us and most of all I wish to thank all of you for coming to this very important rally where the United Nations feels they have jurisdiction over the United States and the American people.

For those of you who know me, you know my background; for those of you who do not, I would like to tell you a little about myself. I came to the United States almost 5 years ago, from Romania, a former communist block country, where we had little or no freedoms. We had no Constitution or Bill of Rights like here in the United States. We could not own firearms for self protection or sporting purposes, worship who we wanted unless in was in secret, which was dangerous since we had informants in our own families for the Secret Police who worked for Ceausescu. We could not speak out against any issues regarding political, religious, or anything else, for it meant prison, work camps or even death sentence.

Since the end of 1989, after the revolution, my former country has become a democratic one, but has a long way to go since many communists are still in power. Within the last year and a half I have become an active member with the Second Amendment Sisters fighting to preserve a women's right to self-defense and uphold our rights and freedoms granted by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Presently I am the Chapter Coordinator of the Second Amendment Sisters in Pennsylvania for the Lehigh Valley area.

I had found out that the South African parliament recently passed a new law. This law gives the police and military the utmost authority to use whatever force is necessary, including lethal force to quell any unrest that may occur. Now, that the South African people have been practically disarmed, the South African government has total control over it's citizens.

Why am I mentioning this, since this is a continent far away! I am mentioning this because many of my new friends and I are seeing the freedoms and rights enjoyed here in the United States slipping away.

Recently I took the test and interview for US citizenship and passed. Very soon I will take the official oath to uphold and defend the US Constitution and swear allegiance to this country. How can someone swear to uphold an oath that is slowly being dismantled right in front of our eyes?

I am very proud to soon be an American citizen. I respect all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the rights and freedoms of this great country. I also respect the people and organizations that on a daily basis continue to uphold and defend our constitutional rights and freedoms, especially the attorney general of the United States, John Ashcroft. John Ascroft realizes that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right, as the founding fathers of this great nation did over 200 years ago when they wrote the Constitution.

Recently America celebrated its 225th birthday of Independence from a tyrannical government called England. Apparently Britain did forget that America is a free country, since they are one of the sponsors behind the proposed disarmament of America. We, as Americans, will not tolerate this! It is time to hold our political leaders who work for us accountable and all those who took a solemn oath to uphold and defend the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Constitution to their respective states. It is time to tell these people we will not abide by what a foreign organization or country tries to dictate to Americans. This is the United States of America, not the United Nations of America! As former president of the United States Ronald Regan so stated against the country of Libya, "WE WILL NOT CAVE IN."

Belonging to the Tyranny Response Team, Second Amendment Sisters, National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, Jews for the Preservation of Firearm Ownership or any other organizations who defend our constitutional rights and freedoms is just a start. We need to be diligent in our actions. We need to call, write and visit our political leaders, our newspapers. We need to teach our children, who are this country's future leaders, the truth, not the lies and deceitfulness they may read or see on TV. When was the last time you saw an article in the paper or on the news that a firearm was used to save a human life? All you read or see are negative items relating to firearms. This shows you the truth is not being told.

I only hope and pray that this country will not go the way my former country Romania went, which was total control over its citizens.

We, as a nation, are not responsible for other countries problems, but yet many nations such as South Africa, Britain, and others want to blame the United States for their criminal element in regard to firearms.

Britain, who just 2 years ago banned firearms, especially handguns, has seen a substantial increase in crimes with firearms. Don't these countries get it yet! If you take our constitutional rights away, and the 2nd amendment is a constitutional right not a privilege, only the criminals will have firearms. Just look at the countries I mentioned: crimes with firearms have increased.

Look at the cities in this country which have the strongest gun control measures and you will see that they too have high rates of crimes with firearms. Look at the cities that have the least gun control and you will see that their crime rates are lower. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see these results. The people who want to take and restrict your God given right away will never admit that firearms do save lives in the hand of law-abiding people, even though the evidence is right here.

I implore each and everyone here this afternoon to become active in some way. Please do not become complacent and feel that this cannot happen here because this is the United States. Your constitutional rights and freedoms are and have been under attack; that is why we are all here today.

As a woman coming from a country where we had very little rights, I value the United States of America and do not take it for granted, for it is my new home.

I will leave all of you with two questions that you and only you can answer: What will it take for you to get involved and not depend on someone else before your rights and freedoms will disappear in front of your very eyes? Will Americans become subjects like the citizens of South Africa, Britain, Australia, Canada, and other countries where there is oppression of its human rights?

Thank you all very much for listening to me this afternoon; may God bless all of you and God bless this great country we call the United States of America.

Rodi Bestider - SAS Chapter Coordinator for Lehigh Valley, PA
Saturday, July 14, New York