The New Orleans police force is now confiscating all firearms, including legal, registered weapons, from civilians. “Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons”, says the police superintendent. Well, OK, the law enforcement and private security firms:
But that order apparently does not apply to hundreds of security guards hired by businesses and some wealthy individuals to protect property. The guards, employees of private security companies like Blackwater, openly carry M-16’s and other assault rifles. Mr. Compass said that he was aware of the private guards, but that the police had no plans to make them give up their weapons.
The upshot? If you’re rich, you get to guard your home and property. If you’re poor, you have to rely on the cops for protection (many of whom deserted, some of whom joined the looting, and of which 60% are off to enjoy paid vacations to Vegas).
But that’s nothing new. Gun control has been long been used as a tool of bigotry and oppression by the rich and powerful against the poor and minorities. Just look at America’s very first gun control laws, which were enacted, coincidentally enough, in order to keep guns out of the hands of poor southern blacks.
after reading a first-hand account of one couple’s experience in New Orleans (the Bradshaw-Slonski account), it was evident that Law Enforcement were the goons that had to be feared.
It made me think quite differently about those reports on the news of rescuers and law enforcemnet officials coming under fire. At first I was shocked that someone would do such a thing, but when you hear how law enforcement was acting, it makes total sense that someone would see them as the threat and take them out instead.
Everything I’ve read so far suggests that the citizens of NOLA were accustomed to a demoralized and corrupt police force – and that their fears were well-founded.
Hell, I’ve never lived anywhere that the police are notably bad, and as a middle-class white guy they are presumably “on my side” if anything; but if I feel anything when I see a cop, it’s trepidation. A police force is traditionally one of the few functions that libertarians accept as a legitimate function of government, but more and more I think my ideal society would not have one as such. I think I’d prefer a militia of armed citizens, well-integrated into the community (as opposed to holed up in a bunker somewhere, as militias are commonly thought of). Citizens are the primary stakeholders, they are the ones who truly understand their neighborhood, and they have to live with the social consequences of their actions.
Can you link to that? I’d be interested in reading.
this has been reposted in myspace and LJ..but it looks like these are the original publications
http://www.socialistworker.org/2005-2/556/556_04_RealHeroes.shtml
http://www.counterpunch.org/bradshaw09062005.html
Thanks for the links. When I heard about people shooting at relief workers I knew there had to be some reason, but I couldn’t fathom what. But this helps put it in perspective.
yeah…
I found this confiscation of guns to be absolutely ludicrous.. They take the guns from the poor, who have been relatively defenseless against the heavy handed tactics used by local national guardsmen and police anyway…
I mean.. it makes me think of the scene in aliens, when they enter the hive, and then all the magazines get collected.. and the one black marine says..
“What are we supposed to use man… harsh language?”
I grew up in an area that was “gun free” and it was so urban that no one I knew went hunting or did anything similar… but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more interested in gun possession… and once I have a real job with a real income, I fully intend to purchase a handgun and a very, very good rifle.. and I intend to become exquisitely proficient in shooting them..
What’s going on in NOLA is so beyond unconstitutional.. it blows my mind..
Re: yeah…
The important thing to understand in NOLA, at least as far as the local cops are concerned, is that it’s being run by Zaphod Beeblebrox in blackface.
(Please note: I have no idea if Nagin is a decent guy or not, and some of these could legitimately be chalked up to stress and lack of sleep. I just think he comes across as seriously out to lunch, in a way that is funny, in a sad sorta way.)
“New Orleans is a party town. Get over it.” – Ray Nagin, on being asked whether now was an appropriate time to be sending 60% of his cops away for R&R, mostly in Vegas.
“They’re looking for something to take the edge off of their jones, if you will.” – Ray Nagin, explaining the looting of pharmacies and hospitals.
“he sent one John Wayne dude down here that can get some stuff done” – Ray Nagin, on the assignment of General Honore.
“We said, ‘Please, please take care of this. We don’t care what you do. Figure it out.'” – Ray Nagin, on the “17th St. canal issue”
“I need reinforcements, I need troops, man. I need 500 buses, man.” – Ray Nagin, on regaining control.
“You know, I’m not one of those drug addicts. I am thinking very clearly.” – Ray Nagin, on not being a drug addict.
“So what you’re seeing is drug- starving crazy addicts, drug addicts, that are wrecking havoc. And we don’t have the manpower to adequately deal with it. We can only target certain sections of the city and form a perimeter around them and hope to God that we’re not overrun.” – Ray Nagin on the barbarian hordes.
O’Brien: What date was this?
Nagin: I don’t know.
O: When did you say that?
N: Whenever air force one was here.
O: Okay.
– Ray Nagin, on the passage of time.
The last aritcle is very interesting. Never knew that but very interesting and unsuprising when you think about it. My dad was thinking about getting me a gun for last christmas but I wasn’t sure if I wanted one. Lately however, I’m thinking maybe I’ll ask him for one for this christmas. (which gives me this ridiculous image of openiong up a long box on christmas morning and going “Ooo, a gun, I wanna go out and shoot things, that’s a good way to ring in christmas morning.”
Hehe, great christmas present.
It’s an old, old story. Every ruling class in history has done their best to disarm the underclasses, be they poor or a different race or what have you. Every genocide has been preceded with disarmament (see, for example, here).
I’m well aware of that, as the poster says Hitler, Mao, Stalin, and the Italian dictator, all supporters of gun control.