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 ...
Do even read before you respond?
BFLR
I have been trying to find out if Blanco has declared martial law as well... so far the answer is "no", so this isn't looking good.
Until the Supreme Court acts differently on the 2nd Amendment, gun permits will remain legal in many jurisdictions, including Western Carolina where I live.
You're claiming that State infringements ["gun permits"] will "remain legal" until the USSC acts 'incorporating' the 2nd Amendment, correct?
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.
So until slapped down by Court 'incorporation', those laws are valid? States are not bound to obey the "law of the land"?
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Of course, gun ownership has nothing to do with the current legality of guns in any jurisdiction. D.C. forbids law-abiding citizens from owning guns.
And you agree that State & local governments can prohibit/regulate owning & bearing arms, correct?
Thus the current actions of New Orleans 'authorities' are, in your view, constitutionally legal?
Now, switching to New Orleans, IF AND ONLY IF martial law has been declared, the 2nd Amendment doesn't apply there.
A declaration of 'martial law' suspends the 2nd and allows confiscation? Sorry, but I don't believe that opinion can be supported by referring to our Constitution.
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.
I'd suggest you also do more research on the constitutional aspects of martial law..
I think it's something like... 666 times.
I can recall something similar happened once before.
It didn't work out very well for the folks taking the guns as I recall.
... it was stipulated that the said inhabitants having deposited their arms with their own magistrate, should have liberty to depart, taking with them their other effects. They accordingly delivered up their arms, but in open violation of honour, in defiance of the obligation of treaties, which even savage nations esteemed sacred, the governor ordered the arms deposited as aforesaid, that they might be preserved for their owners, to be seized by a body of soldiers; detained the greatest part of the inhabitants in the town, and compelled the few who were permitted to retire, to leave their most valuable effects behind.
Excellent example.
The cops/troops are looking for gang bangers and terorists, but we lawful citizens have not surrendered our Bill of Rights or the rest of our federal and state constitutions.
Be discrete with arms as always, but I would advise through firm discussions with misguided, unlawful employees of We the People to never disarm. Who'da thaught that Concord Bridge might be in flooded N.O.?
Shoot, as long as there's no voting in New Orleans, the Dimocrat Party is dead in Louisiana anyway!
Where in our ratified Constitution does it state that our government by declaring "martial law" may suspend our RATIFIED CONSTITUTION?
As for your other comments, you seem badly confused. ALL laws, on ALL subjects, in ALL jurisdictions remain on the books and are apparently valid, until the authority which passed them, repeals them -- or until a court of competent jurisdiction declares them unconstitutional (under US or state constitutions).
This is what it means to call something a "law." You argue that by pointing this out I somehow agree with or support all such laws. That is abject nonsense. It's like if I stated the fact that New Orleans has been destroyed by a hurricane you would claim that I "agreed with" or "supported" that result.
I cannot make it any plainer than that. Have you got the point now?
John / Billybob
Make that "...hunch our shoulders and slink away," and it has a nice ring to it.
I'm still ready to work within our Constitutional system. Progress is being made, slow as it is.I tend to think you're right, but theft of guns negates all that progress, removing its ultimate protection from the whims of the government.
Keep in mind that when the government considers doing something particularly egregious that we say is "forbidden by the Second Amendment", we're not neccesarily speaking of gun grab attempts.
-Eric
I've got several firearms that are "on the books," so to speak, but a couple more that just might not be.
It's "martial law". blah blah
There are other ways to remove people from their homes besides force (especially a little old grammy whose home is not flooded). Remember these people don't have the advantage of knowing the entire situation or just how dire their circumstance. Telling them the water is not good and wont be any time soon and maybe showing them pictures of the flooded areas so they at least know how castrophic the damage of the hurricane. I think most of them just don't know the scope. If they did, they would be more likely to leave. Then there is leaving their things behind. Poor woman didnt have time to collect diddley.
I fail to see what "removing me from my house tomorrow" has to do with anything. geez There are just better ways to do it (at least this one incident they showed).
Welcome to the Police State
per Fox News, right now. Police are not forcing evacuations. No noticeable trend of disease so far.
Thanks Zechariah for putting into a sentence the way I have been feeling as well. It has made me almost speechless to see this happening. And I wonder, if they are showing this footage of the police going through houses with guns drawn..and taking the guns of law abiding homeowners...what is it they are NOT showing? I think that this also ties in with the emminent domain...just waiting to see how the "rebuilding" in NO happens and how many acres of land are now needed and acquired by emminent domain.
Per Fox News. City Attorney: Mandatory evacuation still in place. No forced evacuations conducted. Over 200 arrests have been made.....
Click Forced Evacuations under related links
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