Did Guns Pose a Hazard to Public Safety in Post-Katrina NOLA?

NJCSD ^ | Friday, 30 September 2005 | Editor

[Fun Bob]

The details regarding who exactly ordered the gun confiscation in NOLA are still unclear with everyone in authority down there denying responsibility.  Chief of Police Eddie Compass has denied giving the order and so has Mayor Ray Nagin.  Compass has since resigned, ostensibly over the 249-odd NOLA officers who deserted their posts after the disaster.    

Even if they didn't order it, I hope they are soon slapped with civil rights lawsuits for allowing the illegal confiscations to continue in their jurisdiction.  They were well aware of the reports of confiscations before the NRA/SAF lawsuit and neither of them took any action to stop it. While the NRA was criticized for being late in their condemnation of the confiscation, they made a good showing for once.  I wish they would come to New Jersey and throw some of that muscle around--a place the NRA has called "gun owner hell".  We have been living under a de facto gun ban for forty years now and even licensed gun owners in full compliance with the law can have their weapon confiscated and not returned at the whim of any police officer in the state.

I don't know if any of the usual suspects (Brady, VPC, HCI, et al.) came out in support of the NOLA confiscations but I don't put anything past that bunch.  They celebrate the state of affairs in New Jersey and hold it up as a model of their national and global designs.

But I digress.  Returning to the NOLA confiscations--from a public safety standpoint, was there some justification in the heat of the moment for the confiscations that a neutral, rational observer could understand and possibly excuse their actions?  Were the confiscations spurred by mass shootouts and widespread murder?  Did NOLA become the proverbial OK Corral that Sarah Brady threatens will occur in any state that reduces their level of interference with the freedom of the people?  Did Sarah Brady's dire threats and predictions come true for once?   Were conditions so indisputably hazardous to the lives of residents and rescue workers due to the presence of firearms that they could possibly make a compelling argument that the police and local government, while acting illegally and immorally, were trying to do what they could to improve public safety?

Not according to the NOLA coroner. 

 Moreover, while confusion reigned in many areas of the city, some places were more tranquil. New Orleans Coroner Frank Minyard, whose forensic team has conducted scores of autopsies on the 650 or so bodies recovered from New Orleans says he has run across only seven gunshot victims. "Seven gunshots isn't even a good Saturday night in New Orleans," Dr. Minyard says.

The confiscation was clearly borne of pure anti-gun bigotry. There is not even a plausible justification that can be made from a public safety standpoint based on the facts.  This is notable since public safety is the mantra of the gun grabbers who want to ban semi-auto weapons and .50 caliber weapons for their ignorant fear of them.  NOLA proves that even when the shit does hit the fan, responsible, law-abiding citizens can be trusted with their weapons and the government has absolutely no business interfering with their rights to those weapons.

[FearlessFreep]

I was attacked by a gun once.

[Travis McGee]

BANG!

[GrandEagle]

I was attacked by a gun once
I haven't been but I heard of it once. Friend of mine, sound asleep. His pistol snuck out from under his bead and nearly beat him to death. The only thing that saved my friends life was when he reminded the thing that it was registered. Close call (/Obvious attempt at good natured, sarcastic, humor)

Cordially,
GE

[FearlessFreep]

I haven't been but I heard of it once. Friend of mine, sound asleep. His pistol snuck out from under his bead and nearly beat him to death. The only thing that saved my friends life was when he reminded the thing that it was registered. Close call (/Obvious attempt at good natured, sarcastic, humor)


----

What saved me in my attack was that the weapon was French. When I confronted it, it just surrendered.

[planekT]

How in the heck can they say they never gave the order? It was broadcast on national television!

"No one will be allowed to be armed. We're going to take all the guns".

Unbelievable.

[Fun Bob]

Yep, they sure did. Just read the restraining order (same link as above):

Defendants, C. Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans and P. Edwin Compass, III, Superintendent of Police for the City of New Orleans, deny the allegations in the Complaint For Declaratory Judgment and Injunctive Relief and specifically deny that it was or is the policy of the City of New Orleans nor the New Orleans Police Department to illegally seize lawfully possessed firearms from citizens;

Defendants C. Ray Nagin, Mayor of the City of New Orleans, and P. Edwin Compass, III, Superintendent of the Department of Police for the City of New Orleans, specifically deny each and every allegation in the Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and Injunctive Relief and specifically reserving all rights herein and waiving none, assert the following:

1. C. Ray Nagin has not issued, nor has he any intention of issuing, any order, declaration, promulgation, and/or directive pursuant to the authority granted unto him by LSA-R.S. 29:721, et seq., ordering the seizure of any lawfully-possessed firearm from law abiding citizens, nor has C. Ray Nagin delegated any authority granted unto him pursuant to LSA-RS 29:721, et seq. to any other city official, department head, officer, employee, and/or agent of the City of New Orleans including, but not limited to, P. Edwin Compass, III, Superintendent of the Department of Police for the City of New Orleans and/or Warren Riley, Deputy Superintendent of the Department of Police of the City of New Orleans;

2. P. Edwin Compass, III acknowledges that no authority has been delegated to him by C. Ray Nagin, Mayor of the City of New Orleans, pursuant to the powers granted unto the said Mayor by the provisions of LSA-RS 29:721, et seq. to order the seizure of lawfully-possessed firearms from law abiding citizens and that any and all statements which are allegedly attributed to him in such regard do not represent any policy, statement, ordinance, regulation, decision, custom or practice of either C. Ray Nagin or the City of New Orleans, its agencies and/or departments;

3. C. Ray Nagin and P. Edwin Compass, III affirmatively deny that seizures of lawfully possessed firearms from law abiding citizens has occurred as a result of the actions of officers, city officials, employees and/or agents of the City of New Orleans or any of its departments and further affirmatively deny that any such weapons are presently in the possession of the City of New Orleans, its agents and/or departments;

4. C. Ray Nagin and P. Edwin Compass, III further affirmatively deny that it is the custom, practice and/or policy of the City of New Orleans, either officially or unofficially, to seize and/or confiscate lawfully-possessed firearms from law abiding citizens.

So there you have it. Straight from the liars' mouths.

[Fred911]

"NJ....a place the NRA has called "gun owner hell".
As a citizen of the Peoples Republik of NJ, I dream of the day when we peasants will be awarded our constitutional rights. I WANT SHALL ISSUE CCW NOW!!!! And Santa, I really want to get one of those neat Rohrbaugh R9s....

[yarddog]

I normally don't quote movies but Shane said it really well.

"A gun is as good or bad as the person using it".

[joesnuffy]

In the hands of evil men with criminal hearts.. nearly any object can be used as a weapon of crime....

In the hands of a good man the same object will be a force for good....to protect the lives of innocents.

When criminals choose to use guns to hurt decent folks..decent folks must have guns in order that society 1. not become a state of anarchy and crime 2. or a police state

But most importantly..a decent man or woman has the God given right to protect his own life and the lives of his loved ones and his property..

imo

[When do we get liberated?]

hey, are you really Paris Hilton?

[CodeToad]

Guns did pose a hazard because few had guns to stop the bad guys with guns and the New Orleans cops turned chicken and ran.

[GrandEagle]

When I confronted it, it just surrendered.
LOL!

[FearlessFreep]

Yeah that's me. I just lurk on here.

[river rat]

Amen...

The behavior of the gun hating Leftist Liberals, seems to show their genetic predisposition to consider all citizens as inept, untrustworthy, unworthy and incapable of self determination and self reliance...

An unarmed man is more likely to become a "subject" or victim...

An armed man can defend himself, his family and his citizenship.........in addition to keeping government critters in check..

Semper Fi

[Meldrim]

There is a rumor that many of the 249 officers never existed; they were a phantom payroll going into somebodies pocket.

[Fun Bob]

Actually, I heard that. It was on Tony Snow. But I don't want to repeat baseless accusations. Once there is some stronger sourcing on that rumor, I'll revise the article at the original link above. Thanks though.

[Surtur]

Maybe they should have seized the forks instead. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1492299/posts

[WasDougsLamb]

The details regarding who exactly ordered the gun confiscation in NOLA are still unclear with everyone in authority down there denying responsibility. Chief of Police Eddie Compass has denied giving the order and so has Mayor Ray Nagin. Compass has since resigned, ostensibly over the 249-odd NOLA officers who deserted their posts after the disaster.

Deserted? Or were never there to begin with? I wouldn't trust Ray Nagin or anyone in affiliates with the likes of him. Wonder who was getting those paychecks from those "ghost cops"? Can you answer that one Ray?

[proudpapa]

Another great quote from Shane:

"You're a low down Yankee liar"