Thanks, Tripler. But Harborwolf says I sound like a “raving paranoid psychotic.” Are you sure you want to be in my company? 
I agree that the usual suspects are pounding Bush on this for every bit of “blame-the-republican” currency they can squeeze out of it. And I have no doubt that most of it is just political posturing or predisposition. I was always one of the first to defend Bush in the circle jerks on this board and when real life conversations lead in that area. I voted for him twice. I debated for months on this very message board for the war and even after no WMD’s were found I still felt that in spite of that particular screw-up the war was the right thing to do.
However, you cannot say that Bush did all he could do. He could have called the NG and regular troops in if he had used some of his emergency powers. He could have said *“Brownie, impress the American people, and the world while you are at it.”, * instead of the self-congratulatory remarks he did make. He could have federalized that entire fuck-up of a local government down there and taken charge when that void was there for all to see.
And I have no doubt that the Bush-haters would have pointed to that action as more of his evil attempts to thwart our liberties. But it would have been the right thing to do. Once it was so apparently obvious the local and state leaders were so inept in their responsibilities to those that depended on them he should have drop-kicked their asses so far out of the way and stepped in to save the American citizens he had sworn to protect. He didn’t.
Bush has failed yet again as a leader in my eyes. His government has failed twice in what I consider the most sacrosanct of the US government’s duty to the American people. And that is to protect them to the utmost of its ability. 9/11 was the first and shame on them. Katrina is twice so shame on me. There isn’t going to be a third time. I do not trust this government to protect me and mine when the chips are down and decisions have to be made. Reagan had instilled that sense of confidence of the government in me. And it seems his 3 predecessors did nothing but chip at that trust until there is nothing left to abuse.
Slight grammatical nitpick… people are not evacuated. An area is evacuated of people.
I find it a bit ironic that they’re confiscating guns using… guns. And please explain how me keeping my guns puts other people in danger.
I can’t; it’s too ingrained in me. I guess you’ll just have to live with my emotionally unstable and immature attitude.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one, Astro. But suffice to say, I will never give up my firearms regardless of the circumstances.
Really? I’d be interested to know who you’re talking about.
On the thread topic, i tend to agree with a few other people here that the most fucked up part of this is the double-standard applied in allowing private security guards to keep their guns while taking them away from regular citizens.
I guess, though, that we know that all security guards are upstanding folks, none of whom would never dream of abusing their power.
I think their main reason is that what they are doing, forcefully evacuating people and disarming anyone but law enforcement, is skirting the Constitution. And while old man Thibodaux may put down his foot (they hope) he will not harm others that are just trying to help him. Big companies, however, have the lawyers to sue the shit out of the government if so much as a memo gets stolen from their offices while the government removed them from their private property and denied them their Constitutional rights.
That’s just my guess.
NEVER? Not even if you go some place where weapons are prohibited? (I’m thinking a courthouse or what-not) Or to a foreign country?
Rosie O’Donnell. Flipped out at Tom Selleck for being a member of the NRA when he came on her show to promote his latest movie. Said NO ONE should be allowed to own a gun. Then, when it was revealed her bodyguards pack heat, she said, “Well, I’m famous, it’s different.”
But Rosie’s hardly someone I’d consider a rational human being.
Having been an unarmed security guard in California, I do know how it works. To be employed as a security guard, one must have a guard registration card, issued by the state.
To be an armed security guard, one must have an armed guard registration card.
Lutes, violins, and sex! I kind of like the sound of that for a romance movie.
Yes he could have done that. However, keep in mind that that only happens in the most dire of circumstances. It is up to the Governor to call in the NG first. The lack of mobilizing the NG is what made it so serious that the President would have to step in.
Not an insult here, but do you understand how disaster management works? It starts with local government, then the state steps in, then the Feds get called in as the last resort. Sadly, many seem to thing D.C. rides in on a white steed to make everything better in a heartbeat. What is the point of having a mayor if a city can count on the Feds to come in and handle things at the drop of a hat? There is still responsibility, no matter your political stripe.
It’s dire when one of your nations major cities is about to be hit with a level 5 hurricane and experts warn of exactly what happened, meaning the virtual shuting down and contamination of the city for months and the locals make no effort to follow their own emergency plan
O.K., you got me there, Guin. I guess I should have added a few qualifiers. But I think you know what I mean.
I don’t own a gun, but I’d be mighty reluctant to give it up if I was there. If I was staying (I wouldn’t, actually), I’d have a gun, and they wouldn’t find in the first place, probably. What are they going to do, feel my crotch when they come to my house? Search my underwear drawer? Seems like they have more pressing issues.
Okay, silly question time, for all the folks who say that Bush should’ve taken over disaster control for New Orleans before the hurricane hit: How much advance notice did he have that the mayor and the governor were going to blow it?
It’s not just about failure to react, it is also about actively preventing others from provided relief. The president of Jefferson parish reported that Walmart trucks loaded with water were prevented from delivering it, on the orders of FEMA. Likewise, telephone lines were cut on the orders of FEMA. If you do not believe it, watch this video from Meet the Press last Sunday (9/04/05). If you can watch that and still maintain that Brown did everything he could to help, you are one cold steel bastard.
I didn’t say jack about the guy doing anything. I just asked a question regarding a federal official.
OMG- I had not seen that. I am not sure who Broussard is (what position he holds) but that poor poor man–and his story is just one of so, so many.
Stupid question: who would EVER give an order to turn away clean drinking water in NO in late summer?
WTF?
He is the president of Jefferson parish, Louisiana.
The instance Guinastasia mentioned was the benchmark, but anybody who hires a professional bodyguard is probably hiring someone with a gun (I don’t know, there might be professional bodyguards who don’t pack). I could Google up a few celebs/anti-gun politicians who fit the mold, but that would just hijack this thread.
From what I understand is that it was Louisiana’s DoHS that denied relief into certain areas because they wanted the people to leave. Some cites would be decent besides an emotionally distraught man who, unfortunately, probably did not have any more information that the rest of us and is just guessing. Which just goes to show just how fucked up things were down there.
Jesus. That’s just plain fucked. But y’know, sad as that story is, there’s more than enough blame to go round, including the Parish Presidents and the Levee Boards. Regarding the OP.
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I would have evacuated LONG before it ever came to them needing to take my guns.
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It’s too bloody dangerous for the rescuers. Even though most of the lawlessness has subsided, the threat has not passed.
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It’s a state of emergency. Rules change.