Posted on 09/08/2005 3:40:23 PM PDT by RDTF
Waters were receding across this flood-beaten city today as police officers began confiscating weapons, including legally registered firearms, from civilians in preparation for a mass forced evacuation of the residents still living here.
No civilians in New Orleans will be allowed to carry pistols, shotguns, or other firearms, said P. Edwin Compass, the superintendent of police. "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons," he said.
But that order apparently does not apply to the hundreds of security guards whom businesses and some wealthy individuals have hired to protect their property. The guards, who are civilians working for private security firms like Blackwater, are openly carrying M-16's and other assault rifles. Mr. Compass said he was aware of the private guards, but that the police had no plans to make them give up their weapons.
Nearly two weeks after the floods began, New Orleans has turned into an armed camp, patrolled by thousands of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, as well as National Guard troops and active-duty soldiers. While armed looters roamed unchecked last week, the city is now calm. No arrests were made on Wednesday night or this morning, and police received only 10 calls for service, a police spokesman said.
The city's slow recovery is continuing on other fronts as well, local officials said at a press conference late this morning. Pumping stations are now operating across much of the city, and many taps and fire hydrants have water pressure. Also, tests have shown no evidence of cholera or other dangerous diseases in flooded areas, though health officials have said the waters contain levels of E. coli bacteria and lead 10 times higher than what is considered safe.
Efforts to recover corpses have also started, although only a handful of bodies have been recovered so far.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The Mayor of your area has ordered a mandatory evacuation and confiscation of firearms from private citizens. The local Police arrive to enforce the order.
How do you respond?
You don't need a permit to own a gun in the majority of states including LA
Gareth Stubbs and neigbhors with five borrowed shotguns, a pistol, a flare gun, an old AK-47 and loads of ammunition strategically placed next to the blankets and pillows where they have kept watch over their neighborhood.
Above post has link to full article at http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tporleans/archives/2005_09.html#077574
So President Bush is Hitler?
Interesting analogy. I suppose we'll just have to see, won't we? Will he stand up for the Second Amendment and the natural right to self-defense or not?
Bush happily stomped the First Amendment by infringing political free speech, so I make no assumptions about his feelings on the Second.
Like I said, we'll just have to see.
If you are ordered to leave your home and refuse to leave it, you then become an unlawful citizen. Unlawful citizens can be legally disarmed. ***There is always a way to get around any freedom we have a right to enjoy. At least for a little while until it is challenged in a court of law. Which, in this case, will be to late to do anything about it.
Without reading through the entire thread, so far.
Is this an elected government position?
"The precedent is now set", my thoughts exactly. It is just a matter of time before wholesale confiscation will be attempted by various levels of government. Use or lose.
Over my dead body.
We will definitely see.
No, it was a report on the ABC nightly news. I was so shocked that I didn't get a take on the "spin". They weren't making these people out to be bad or anything. Just stating what was being done. They showed people living in historic old Mansions...real pretty ones. They also showed some more middle class areas where folks were refusing to leave. But that was after the gun portion of the story.
They showed the Nat'l Guards walking down the DRY streets in the old neighborhood. Typical Southern wide street with large trees and houses sitting farther back from the road. They said they had set up a "command post" in a local church. Had to leave a note because they couldn't locate the pastor. Then they talked to some of the guardsman who said it was weird doing this in America. One was named Fred Bible and he is part of the Oklahoma Nat'l Guard. Got my attention because I'm originally from Oklahoma and the name along with the church command post was interesting.
His point was they don't have 'special rights', no matter who they are or what they do.
According to those who advocate 'States Rights', any state has the police power to reasonably regulate the carrying of weapons, concealed or not.
I'd say that todays action by 'authorities' exceeds any reasonable test.
(Martial law, as its name implies, means rule by the military on its own rules of engagement. No military in history has ever taken kindly to potential hostiles carrying weapons in the territory it's trying to quell and control. Nor should it.
Once civilian rule is reestablished, all those with permits to own and carry weapons should get them back, with no charges filed.
John / Billybob)
A citizen protecting his home is not a potential hostile....even in Iraq they allow civilians to keep an assault rifle for protection. The right to personal weapons for self protection predates the Constitution and the 2nd amendment (and there is a Supreme Court decision that states that). If there was ever a time these people need it , it is in a time of near anarchy when the political powers have failed to protect it's citizens.
FWIW, Billybob, arrording to FNC's Judge Napolitano, that's only legal if the authorities can prove the folks inside are actually a health hazard. If I understood the judge correctly :)
Maybe not for the next few years or longer.
I don't agree.
RTDF can take his self righteous and shove it.
Remember when they wanted to confiscate guns in Iraq, but later decided not to? Well in America it is OK to do it I guess.
BS---If people are behaving themselves, and just trying to survive in this nightmare, hands off! This is not business as usual here. People have a right to defend themselves. Period!
After everything that has happened there, and from what I've heard and read, half the law enforcement in this area cannot be trusted.
Another hurricane is now brewing, and they are disarming citizens? Sheesh!
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