The thing about liberals is they are just so predictable. They always go back to the same playbook. We've already seen it with Katrina, first thing out of Democrats' mouths was "racism", then "raise taxes." Now on to their third hobby horse, "gun control." ******************************* Police ordered not to seize guns By Joyce Howard Price THE WASHINGTON TIMES September 24, 2005 The U.S. District Court of the Eastern District in Louisiana yesterday sided with gun rights groups and issued a restraining order to stop authorities from confiscating guns from law-abiding citizens in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "This is a significant victory for freedom and for the victims of Hurricane Katrina," said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the 3 million-member National Rifle Association. "The court's ruling is instant relief for victims who now have an effective means of defending themselves from the robbers and rapists who seek to further exploit the remnants of their shattered lives." The federal court's ruling came just one day after the NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation jointly filed a motion to halt the seizures of firearms from private citizens who are not breaking the law. The groups described the action by the New Orleans Police Department as "arbitrary," "without warrant or probable cause," and thus unconstitutional. Mr. LaPierre said the NRA has evidence that as many as 100 guns were seized from New Orleans residents by armed police, who went door-to-door in different neighborhoods. An exact count is not available, he said, as New Orleans typically confiscated the guns without providing any paperwork. He said the NRA learned about the policy two weeks ago from statements made by top New Orleans police officials in reports in the New York Times and ABC News. Given the lawlessness that pervaded New Orleans after the damage wreaked by Katrina and her floodwaters, Police Superintendent P. Edwin Compass III was quoted as saying only law-enforcement personnel would be allowed to have weapons. Mr. LaPierre said this was unfair, given that New Orleans police were unable to control crime in that city after Katrina, and citizens were rendered defenseless without their guns. Two plaintiffs in the lawsuit were private citizens whose guns had been seized, Mr. LaPierre said. After yesterday's court ruling, the NRA's chief lobbyist Chris W. Cox said: "This is an important victory. But the battle is not over. The NRA will remedy emergency statutes in all 50 states, if needed, to ensure that this injustice does not happen again."
Actually first thing out of Democrats' mouths was "poverty". The second thing was "incompetence", then "cronyism", then "negligence". Do you disagree with any of these characterizations? As far as racism is concerned most democrats don't believe that "Bush does not care about black people", Bush is clearly not a racist, he does not care about all people indiscriminately. Do you have a better idea how to pay for Katrina aftermath? I have not heard any other suggestions from this administartion and the republican majority, have you? Oh yes, let's raise taxes on future generations, right?
Sen. Tom Coburn of Ok. has made a persuasive argument that we could easily pay for this by diverting pork in other areas of the budget, eg highway bill and ag bill. I think Sen. Barrack Obama is working with him on this. This would be a win/win approach as that money was going to be spent in any case and much of it wasted. Regarding the subject of this thread, can you imagine you are hunkered dwon in New Orleans, with gangs of thugs and looters roaming wild, and the response from the police is to take away the only means of defense for law-abiding people? I have come to the conclusion that we should insist on a lot of new faces in N.O. and Louisiana government before we throw taxpayer's money down that hole. Removing that fascist police chief would be a good start.
======================== Interesting the NRA learned about it in NYT,ABC; and Ronald Reagan proved REVENUES ARE RAISED WITH TAX CUTS IT has been a real shocker , ABC news perhaps admitting defeat by doing it, naming that NRA exec Sandra Froman person of the week.