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 ...
"There are a lot of dead patriots in history.
They gained nothing , but you and I did.
If not for the ones who are willing to give it all, freedom would have never been won.
"
Yes, thanks, I was reading this last night. The whole house-to-house search and forced evacuation is troubling enough, and now they're confiscating the residents' guns. Why stop there? They should probably confiscate the resident's jewelry and other valuables, to make sure the looters don't get them.
I bet this thread goes over 1000 replies!
NO: DON'T GIVE THEM FOOD AND WATER AND SOAP. If they didn't prepare, don't help them, maybe they would leave.
Give them a letter disavowing protection for them, mark the house as "searched", and move on.
People can take individual responsibility.
This is a "I don't know if you've seen this yet, PING"
The question you have to ask yourself...
"When does a resonable person take a stand???"
And is a resonable act of a reasonable person, an appropriate refusal to give up their arms?
Why don;t they just say yes, you may keep your weapon(s), but we really insist that you leave...
"Please let us help you get to a better place to stay."
Seems to me that being reasonable goes both ways...
But that'll never happen now...
The precident has been set...
In the 1770s' there was no sizable mahjority for revolution. It was roughly split in thrids between the tories, the patriotis...and those who didn't really want to be bothered one way or another. Our founders stood on principle, against overwhelming odds (when you take the British Crown into consideration and add it to the Tories), and when their other means were exhausted...which means were exhausted the moment the Crown moved to confisate their weapons.
They should us the way...the principles apply equally today. I believe any massive move by government to confiscate the weapons of the legal citizenry should be reacted to in the same manner. Once the weapons are gone...then that is the true way of madness and tyranny.
Again, just my opinion.
"Give them a letter disavowing protection for them, mark the house as "searched", and move on.
People can take individual responsibility.
"
YES! This is what should happen. Forced evacuations are wrong, especially in places where there is no immediate danger from flood waters. The LEOs should inquire of these residents whether they are sufficiently provisioned, then tell them that future calls for assistance will not be answered. They should then move on to other tasks.
Use it at night and make your house a target.
Sounds good in theory, but somehow I don't think it would pass muster with the gun grabbers.
"In the 1770s' there was no sizable mahjority for revolution."
You're right. I knew that, and intended to write "minority." Sadly, there is no way to edit posts once they are posted. An error on my part. A sizable MINORITY is needed for any revolution to succeed.
Actually, I think it was STATE DEA.
Someone else suggested that neighbors should simply hire each other, and pay each other the same amount.
They could sit in each other's homes. When the police come, they would say "I can't give you permission, this isn't my home, I'm the hired security guard protecting the property".
Catch 22. -- The police could & would arrest you for being an unlicensed security guard.
All I am saying is that those laws are in place. And they will remain in place until they are slapped down by the Supreme Court, which has shown no inclination to date to enforce the 2nd Amendment.
Now, switching to New Orleans, IF AND ONLY IF martial law has been declared, the 2nd Amendment doesn't apply there. Neither would the 1st Amendment, the 4th, the 5th, or any other. I've heard conflicting reports on whether martial law has been declared, and about who is doing what inside that City.
Until I have accurate information, I am expressing no more opinions about "law enforcement" in New Orleans. Everything I've said to date started with this phrase, "IF martial law has been declared...." Entirely too many people ran right through that warning sign and assumed I "agreed" with "what was being done."
I am through quarreling with folks about things I was very careful NOT to say. When I see, with my own eyes, a copy of a duly executed Declaration of Martial Law, I'll comment further. Until then, count me out of this discussion.
John / Billybob
In case you hadn't see this one yet . .
But Waco was a slow-cook recipe. By the time they killed the children, they had slowly but surely put out enough propaganda that most people thought the WACO group was a danger to society, that the children inside were hostages and in danger, and that everything bad that had happened was their own fault.
But there is difference between "rebellion and insurrection" and the current situation. And simply declaring "martial law" shouldn't be sufficient proof that a rebellion or insurrection is happening.
Obviously in a time when the civil authority is unable to protect us, we need the ability to let the military do so.
But in this case the National Guard is under civilian authority, the local authority is still in charge of New Orleans, and nobody is rebelling or insurrecting against anything.
If the michigan militia was wandering around new orleans, I might be persuaded that the NG had to start taking weapons.
Instead, at the moment I'm kind of thinking the people of New Orleans need the Michigan Militia to protect them from the Blanco Brigade.
So I guess my argument isn't that there are no conditions under which the constitutional protections may be suspended, just that it can't be simply a declaration from a mayor or governor for the convenience of taking control of personal property.
That's what courts are for, to make sure that our government doesn't overstep it's authority.
Yer on my list for such now Nita.....let me know when ya had enough !
One more reason to have few at your home and few cached nearby , safe deposit boxes , loaned to friends etc etc ...and buy all yer self defense tools legally from a private party vs any piss yellow sheet that is just cover for such "planned sedition" in the future.....
Stay safe
Courts are a BRANCH of government. I'd rephrase your sentence to: "That's what GUNS (in the hands of sensible people) are for, to make sure that our government doesn't overstep it's authority."
Don't worry. They aren't doing that. They are taking their weapons and forcing them out. My point was not that they should be required to help them, but that if they are forcibly kicked out of their house with no where else to go and are housed by the government, they will not only be provided food, water, and soap, but a roof over their heads as well. But the government does not appear to be concerned with the logic of that. They only know that all citizens must be removed, by force if necessary, even if it is couterproductive and unnecessary.
BANG!
The city is only safe for the Elite's hired security. It is unsafe for anyone else to be there. /dripping sarcasm
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