New Orleans Begins Confiscating Firearms as Water Recedes

Ny Times ^ | September 8 | ALEX BERENSON and TIMOTHY WILLIAMS

[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.

[jasontrueamerican]

just got home from work and heard the news, I have gotta ask did we move to russia all of a sudden..... there would be some hurting or dead gaurdsmen around here, these boys here in the mountains wouldn't stand for that, my cold dead hands definately

[Torie]

I wonder if there will be a visit to Mr. O'Dwyer's kitchen in his mansion on St. Charles St. :)

[longtermmemmory]

was it reaaaaaaly a suicide? (/s)

[Cboldt]

I do believe without an immediate threat or crime unless martial law is declared, this is unlawful, immoral and stinks.

I agree it is immoral, and it stinks. As for unlawful or unconstitutional, there is no US precedent, that I am aware of, for mass weapons confiscation where the individial actors have shown no danger to the public.

I do predict, however, that the Federal courts will decide this case in favor of the government. Outcome-based rationale forthcoming. 2nd amendment applies, unless the area is under threat. Can't trust the public with guns, only the authorities are qualified.

[herewego]

Dunno, but I read it here on F.R.

[ExSoldier]

It's unique, Louisiana has always been under Napoleonic Law.

[longtermmemmory]

Interesting that the officials of NO consider the law abiding citizens part of the problem.

BTW the NYT ALWAYS LIES about guns needing to be "registered". The NYT is pushing a lie to condition people to the lie. (very Brave New World of repeating a lie a few thousand times to make it a truth. very Goebles)

[penowa]

You will get no argument from me. I wondered what possessed them at the time to do that considering the precedent set for the future (not to mention all the ones trying to apply it to past tragedies.)

[Old Professer]

Easier than that, this area is obviously blighted.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

"only the authorities are qualified."

AHEM. Don't forget Blackwater, they get to carry their rifles as well.

[Stew Padasso]

"Interesting that the officials of NO consider the law abiding citizens part of the problem."

The problem is that they are successfully protecting themselves without the help of the government.

And as mentioned by other posters *are they working off some sort of database, and *who is making the call to take legally owned weapons?

[dimquest]

ExSoldier wrote:

It's unique, Louisiana has always been under Napoleonic Law.

Since the Louisiana purchase, the area has been under US Constitutional law.

[rolling_stone]

"unless martial law is declared, this is unlawful, immoral and stinks.."

People keep saying this like it is a trigger and a requirement to turn over your guns. Not sure why we would *ever* have to turn over our weapons


I agree no one should have to turn over their weapons, however a forced evacuation might be necessary.

I can understand police wanting to secure weapons from evacuees to protect themselves, but these people have not committed a crime other than not evacuating and without posing a threat to authorities if it is normally legal, should they still be able to carry weapons while being evacuated? This is a tough call..where will they be evacuated to? Will that location permit wapons? Clearly one with means to evacuate themselves within the state has advangages over one who must rely on the governmetn for transportation and shelter..Maybe LA needs to go back to the old days with everyone riding horses and a six gun on their hip...

I clearly can see why some people want to stay in their homes. This situation is not improving, but getting worse by the minute.

[jjm2111]

"Is it temporary confiscation or permanent ?"

It doesn't matter. What the f*** is wrong w/ our country??? Some inept bumbler like Nagin or Blanco can take away someone's right and means to defend themselves and/or their property while hired Blackwater types are allowed to defend OTHER people's property. Absolutely unbelievable. I wouldn't give 'em up. They'd have another Waco on their hands.

[Cboldt]

AHEM. Don't forget Blackwater, they get to carry their rifles as well.

Maybe they have been deputized. Blanco issued an emergency order waiving requirements for a bond in order to perform law enforcement for the state.

Aand even if they haven't, stand by for dearth of evidence (ala Miller's "there is no evidence that a short barreled shotgun has any militia use"), or other excuse to find that this action comports with the Constitution.

It can't be any other way, because that would give control back to the people.

[Nov3]

This situation is not improving, but getting worse by the minute.

What? That may be the clueless statement of the thread. The levees are largely repaired. Electricity is being brought up all over the city, The water supply is coming up, and the sewers are working in a large part of the town. As for the "toxic water" Stay the hell out of it.

[ExSoldier]

Since the Louisiana purchase, the area has been under US Constitutional law.

That's when Federal Law is applied. State law is still Napoleonic. It was one reason when I was applying to law schools that I omitted Tulane University.

[DallasMike]

Fellow Freepers:

At the suggestion of writer Michelle Malkin last Friday, I have cobbled together a blogsite called Texas Clearinghouse for Katrina Aid to serve as a clearinghouse for refugee efforts in Texas.

Texas is getting more refugees than any other state -- that's fine, we'll take them all -- but we need help providing them with food, clothing, medicine, and shelter. We need help taking care of their pets, too.

If you are a refugee, you can information that will help you find relief. If you want to donate or volunteer, you can find someone who needs you. Believe me, there are a lot of organizations who need your help.

Right now the site mostly covers Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas but I'm adding more every night. My wife was down at Reunion Arena in Dallas Tuesday handing out care packages and spiritually ministering to the refugees as a representative of her employer. She says that the situation is tragic and that there's a lot of work to be done. There are so many children who don't know where their parents are or even if their parents are still alive.

There are a lot of churches and other organizations in Texas that need help in dealing with the problem and I would appreciate it if you would get the word out.

Many thanks,

Michael McCullough

Stingray blogsite

[Dick Vomer]

Democrats are confiscating firearms from law-abiding citizens. No surprise there.

well...democrats will never win in the south again, other than the welfare plantations that they already have.

The local were kicked to the side at the Superdome when the mayor allowed the tourist to go to the head of the line for the buses, the mayor and governor wanted to hold back the appearance that Bush had helped and starved the Superdome crowd, and now they are taking away their only defense against the crooks and the cops (which at times are interchangeable)...

Any thinking African-American will look at this as the final genocide by Nagin and Blanco... The Dems have gone off the deep end.

If you want your city to look like New Orleans, Detroit, Newark, Chicago, Oakland, South Los Angeles, Overtown (Miami)... and of course Washington DC.....vote democrat.

Doncha know BROTHA's that it's the man keeping ya down........ but it ain't the white man in the Republican party..... but the black man who you trust that is sucking on the white man's nipple from the government t#t...

these poor people are now doing and have made the same mistake as the "Good German Jew" did..... trust the "man" to take care of them if they obeyed the "law" of gun control and believed in allegiance to the "state" as opposed to the individual rights that God gave them....

We're with the Government and we're here to help ourselves to your stuff

We're with the government we're here to protect your property....

we're with the government, give us your guns so that we can protect you...

notice the concerned Social Democrats in the background of this picture looking on at the people that obeyed the gun control laws.....

...don't worry it couldn't happen to you all, these are just stupid poor folk in New Orleans ..... that trusted "our people" in charge...like the Mayor, Governor and the cops..... ...... if I were an African-American in a Democratic controlled, gun-control city... I'd be looking on and very nervous..... who do you "trust"... if this goes down like it seems to be happening, Waco is going to look like a water balloon fight.

[Stew Padasso]

This whole mess from start to finish proves that you cannot trust the government to provide safety and shelter in any emergency. I would rather keep my guns, stay at home or find my own way out of town, JMO.

With respect to being *sheltered* in some sort of public facility, again I would not trust the situation and would not let my safety be left to the government, for a number of reasons.