# Would you have shot the gun confiscators when they came to your door? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 11, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770 "2009-04-11T20:55:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/1 "2009-04-11T20:55:13Z")
> [@](#): > > In August of 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans Police Superintendent Edwin Compass III announced that all privately owned firearms would be seized. “No one will be able to be armed. We are going to take all the weapons.” Compass went on to say that “Only law enforcement will be allowed to have weapons.” The problem was, hundreds of police officers had abandoned New Orleans and as one resident observed, “Looters ruled the city for over a week, without fear of law enforcement”. Law abiding citizens were left for days to defend themselves, their homes and their neighborhoods. > > When law enforcement did appear, it seemed that they focused their sights on law abiding citizens who had remained behind to defend their homes, rather than on the roving bands of criminals. In the hours and days that followed Katrina, hundreds of legally owned firearms were confiscated or destroyed, including a scene recorded by station KTVU from San Francisco, which showed California highway patrol officers when they tackled an elderly woman, Patricia Konie, to seize her revolver and force her from her home. > \ > on September 30th, 2006, President George W. Bush signed the “Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act” into law, prohibiting the confiscation of legal firearms from law-abiding citizens during states of emergency. So, suppose you happened to be a resident of New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and the 2nd Amendment-supporters’ nightmare scenerio came to pass: armed government enforcers came to your door and demanded you turn over all your firearms and ammunition. They aren’t interested in anything a lawyer has to say, it’s not up for debate or discussion: turn over your guns. NOW. Here’s the question: do you turn over your guns and hope that maybe someday, weeks months or years later the government will eventually admit it was wrong? Or do you resist by deadly force, knowing that the overwhelming likelihood is that if you aren’t shot dead by a SWAT team, the state will do everything in it’s power to see you executed or spend life in prison for shooting police officers enforcing an official (if not constitutional) order? Myself, I can’t honestly say I know what I’d do. My personal feeling would be that turning over my gun would be a humiliating and cowardly surrender; but maybe at that time and place, it would be the smart thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/2 "2009-04-11T21:03:25Z")
Probably turn them over. As you say, it’s probably unconstitutional, but having my rights violated beats getting shot. Besides, I don’t normally answer a knock at the door with a run drawn; the police would have plenty of time to stop me from rushing to grab something. Without further information, I think I agree with the “Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act”- the aftermath of a hurricane is an appropriate time to have firearms to protect your family. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/3 "2009-04-11T21:05:47Z")
Resist, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/4 "2009-04-11T21:05:59Z")
I just can’t believe this happened in this country. It literally seems like something out of a totalitarian nightmare. Police literally going door to door to confiscate weapons? And people always accuse the pro-gun side of being paranoid that their guns are going to be confiscated? Guess what, it HAPPENED - you’re not being paranoid if the shit that you’re afraid of **actually happened.** ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/5 "2009-04-11T21:18:02Z")
A: I would have left town three days earlier. With everything critical packed. B: Who knows I have a gun? My shotguns are not registered anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/6 "2009-04-11T21:34:46Z")
I’m not familiar with Louisiana or New Orleans gun law, I know that the police would have no evidence I have any firearms. I’d tell them what I’d tell any police officer who wanted to come into my home in an official capacity: “I need to see a search warrant.” If they decided to come in anyway I would have little recourse at the time other than filing suit against them at a later date. I don’t open my door with a loaded gun, they carry loaded guns on them at all times. I do agree with **E-Sabbath** though, I wouldn’t have been in New Orleans. I had family that evacuated the city _late_ for Katrina because my cousin said that he didn’t think it was going to hit New Orleans, but was going to hit Alabama and not effect the city much at all. He ended up changing his tune something like 24 hours before it actually hit (and FWIW I don’t think Katrina hit New Orleans directly, but it was a lot closer than he had initially thought it would be) and they spent _hours_ in bumper-to-bumper traffic to get out of the city, but they were well north and out of harm’s way by the time things got ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/7 "2009-04-11T21:43:37Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I just can’t believe this happened in this country. It literally seems like something out of a totalitarian nightmare. You have a really, really rosy idea of totalitarianism if that’s your idea of a “totalitarian nightmare”. And no, I wouldn’t have fought. I have no guns, and if I did I’d just have gotten hurt or killed. As for the people who would fight; the old line “think of it as evolution in action” comes to mind. They’d just get an object lesson in how wrong the “we need guns to fight against the government” argument for the Second Amendment is. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/8 "2009-04-11T21:58:26Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Guess what, it HAPPENED - you’re not being paranoid if the shit that you’re afraid of **actually happened.** If it happened in completely different circumstances that aren’t likely to be repeated, then you are a bit paranoid. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/9 "2009-04-11T22:02:48Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > completely different circumstances that aren’t likely to be repeated Whew! I’m glad there won’t be any more hurricanes (or earthquakes or other natural disasters)! That last one was quite enough! Good thing it won’t happen again. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/10 "2009-04-11T22:19:36Z")
For that matter don’t people have a right to privacy and property? Illegal search and seizure? Coming to someone’s house and confiscating anything that is lawfully owned by them is an act of government overstepping its authority. For God’s sake, Der Trihs, if cops started going door to door and confiscating people’s literature, would you have the same attitude? You’re just deliberately being contrarian because you disagree with me on the issue of guns, and you know it. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/11 "2009-04-11T22:25:22Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > A: I would have left town three days earlier. With everything critical packed. > B: Who knows I have a gun? My shotguns are not registered anywhere. Yeah. And unless the cops were certain that I owned firearms (were they reading gun registration rolls or something, or just randomly going door to door?), I’d lie and tell them I didn’t own any. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/12 "2009-04-11T22:27:18Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Whew! I’m glad there won’t be any more hurricanes (or earthquakes or other natural disasters)! That last one was quite enough! Good thing it won’t happen again. LOL. My nightmare scenario is one which involves a terrorist strike against our national power grid, rendering massive swaths of the US without electricity for weeks on end. I don’t think any rational person would argue that there wouldn’t be widespread looting/raping/killing that would eventually span out from urban areas into rural ones. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/13 "2009-04-11T22:38:40Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > A: I would have left town three days earlier. With everything critical packed. > B: Who knows I have a gun? My shotguns are not registered anywhere. ditto … Actually, I take that back, I have 1 ‘legally’ registered firearm. I would gladly hand over my .25 raven and the partial brick of ammo. But since I would have already evacuated, moot point. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/14 "2009-04-11T22:39:47Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > LOL. My nightmare scenario is one which involves a terrorist strike against our national power grid, rendering massive swaths of the US without electricity for weeks on end. I don’t think any rational person would argue that there wouldn’t be widespread looting/raping/killing that would eventually span out from urban areas into rural ones. i have a generator, and can defend myself. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/15 "2009-04-11T22:44:14Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > i have a generator, and can defend myself. Well, until the cops show up at least. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/16 "2009-04-11T22:50:00Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > For God’s sake, Der Trihs, if cops started going door to door and confiscating people’s literature, would you have the same attitude? Literature, and freedom of speech in general is much more important than the personal ownership of guns. More to the point, no one is going to be running around killing people with their library. > [@aruvqan](#): > > i have a generator, and can defend myself. No, you can’t. Fine; you shoot a looter, and his five friends kill you for it. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/17 "2009-04-11T22:51:39Z")
To the OP—where did that quote come from? I saw no link. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/18 "2009-04-11T22:57:22Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Literature, and freedom of speech in general is much more important than the personal ownership of guns. More to the point, no one is going to be running around killing people with their library. Yes, and also, nobody can defend themselves from an armed robber with their library. You are such a baffling character, DT. You cultivate this anti-government, fight-the-man, radical activist persona here, but then as soon as the government does something to hurt whoever you disagree with ideologically, all of a sudden you’re they’re best friend. I’ll never understand it. Of course, plenty of intellectuals like you who can debate up a storm have been ground underneath the wheels of history when stupid but strong thugs have come along and decided to take what they feel they’re entitled to. All the literature and rhetoric in the world won’t be worth a tinker’s damn when you’re faced with an actual attacker in the here and now. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/19 "2009-04-11T23:06:51Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Yes, and also, nobody can defend themselves from an armed robber with their library. And neither can a gun; the robber will just kill you. He’ll almost certainly shoot first, being a criminal and all. > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Of course, plenty of intellectuals like you who can debate up a storm have been ground underneath the wheels of history when stupid but strong thugs have come along and decided to take what they feel they’re entitled to. All the literature and rhetoric in the world won’t be worth a tinker’s damn when you’re faced with an actual attacker in the here and now. And neither will a gun. Not that the subject is likely to come up, since it’s the gun lovers who are likely to be those “stupid but strong thugs” in the first place. If there’s ever an outright descent in fascism into America, the Second Amendment advocates won’t be heroically fighting the evil government, they’ll be in pro-government death squads killing liberals. That’s one reason why the Republicans are so very pro-Second Amendment, in my opinion. They want their thugs to be armed. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770/20 "2009-04-11T23:09:56Z")
Geez, Trihs, you’re like a nonviolent pacifist who’s dispensed with all that “inner peace” crap. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-have-shot-the-gun-confiscators-when-they-came-to-your-door/492770.md?page=2)