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Wallace T.,

I have seen my share of moderate emergencies. Northridge quake... Landers quake... LA riots. Northridge, I was part of a Red Cross response team to treat injured people in and around Cal State Northridge. Landers, I was in Yucca Valley and assisted people to avecuate after roads were impassable to all but my 4x4. LA riots, I was driving down the 101 through downtown watching blacks and mexicans burn the palm trees; when I got to my destination in Hollywood, the only thing keeping those same people from breaking into the building I was in were the firarms stashed in the walls by the owners, and their willingness to get up on the third-story roof and light up the sidewalk to chase off those people armed with illegal guns and vehicles to ram the building. No police in sight for hours.

I will not give up my right to protect my own, and am quite serious when I tell you I will be dead before they take that right from me.

People can deal with looters the old fashioned way, and have done so in this country for a very long time. However, when the government turns against the law abiding citizens, as it did in New Orleans with weapons seizures; in Mississippi, as regards FEMA stupidity in blocking private sector supplies helping the hurricane victims; and in Iowa last week, with cops seizing weapons, throwing people out of their homes, and arresting them if they look crossways at them, what recourse is there? Neighbors might be able to take on some cowardly looters, but not the National Guard or fully equipped LEOs. Then there is the issue of FEMA, which seems more interested in controlling the devastated victims of a tragedy than helping them.

To be blunt, there are plenty of FR posters and others who fancy themselves as conservatives who are reactive supporters of government workers and LEOs, irrespective of whatever abuse they engage in. Look at the rabid pro-government types who applauded the massive raid on the FLDS ranch in West Texas and were very disappointed when the courts overturned the actions of the social workers, cops, and the local district court.

We are not in an environment that is friendly to the concepts of self-defense, self-help, personal freedom, and limited government. It is very painful to admit this on the 232nd anniversary of our Declaration of Independence.