There is no doubt that Mother Nature is a formidable opponent. Her beauty and her wrath can change on us in a moment’s notice and without warning to anyone. But how does a disaster like Hurricane Katrina change our 2nd Amendment politics here in the United States? And how was it that some of our Louisiana politician’s (at the time) interpretation of our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights, ended up attacking the very rights, privileges, and the protection of this state’s legal gun owners? So in the wake and aftermath of what was a catastrophic event called “Hurricane Katrina”, why did this happen to Americans? Why did this happen at all? Let’s find out…
“How A Disaster Disarmed America, Or Was It Something Else”
You may or may not know this, but the disarmament of law abiding gun owners happens almost daily here in the United States. And if you are an active watcher of the news you would probably never hear of this in our mainstream medias, or on most of our 24/7 news stations. But then again, with all of our social media’s that we use today, you just might.
For many years now we have listened to our anti-gun politicians interpreting the laws of the land for their own political benefits, their own personal gains, or for the benefit of a chosen few who are against gun ownership here in the United States of America. Could this be the “something else” I mentioned to you earlier? Let’s read on…
Having served the law enforcement profession for many years, and for the protection of myself or others, I have had the occasion to remove firearms from those with whom I have stopped for traffic violations or for other law violations, and yet following my business with those person(s), and if the firearm was legally obtained and carried pursuant to law, then these firearms were returned to their owners (many times at the scene), unless of course if they were used in the commission of a crime, or were found to be stolen! This was a standard operating procedure for me and for most all other law enforcement professionals at that time. And for the most part, it still is.
I have served our country proudly during catastrophic events and disasters such as Hurricanes Hugo, Katrina, Gustav, Ike, Wilma and several other natural or manmade disasters here in the United States. I even co-authored a book on this subject for First Responders.
Now it was during this same time that I listened in on less-than-private discussions about the potential disarmament of law abiding and legal gun owners, as was discussed by senior political officials in those disaster areas. During my many deployments into these disaster zones I have actually observed firearms confiscation acts taking place, although they were on a much smaller scale. As a personal disclaimer for myself and for my team mates, I (we) were never personally involved in any of these activities or events, pertaining to the disarming of legal gun owners here in the United States. (And thankfully so)!
However it wasn’t until the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that gun confiscation became more news worthy and more apparent to our citizens. It was through a collective political agreement from some of our Democratic politicians in the State of Louisiana, that an order was given to confiscate all firearms in and around New Orleans. This confiscation order was orchestrated by either the Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen B. Blanco, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, or the Superintendent of Police, Eddie Compass, to confiscate any and all firearms from legally armed citizens in the affected areas of Hurricane Katrina. This included all of the homes and businesses within their local jurisdiction that was either flooded or damaged by the storm.
This confiscation order was communicated to the public over all available news media’s and radio stations, at the time, by Superintendent Eddie Compass (Watch the video). Following their confiscation order, both Police and National Guard troops branched out into the flooded and damaged neighborhoods of New Orleans, as well as non-flooded or damaged areas of the city, to confiscate “any and all firearms” from its citizens. This order surprisingly also included the wealthier neighborhoods of the city that were not affected by flood waters at all. Albeit the confiscation in these areas were not as widespread as was reported at the time.
As they watched on television (for those who had working televisions), or for those who heard it on the radio, there were areas throughout the city that were being affected by mass rioting, looting and other violent acts against people. The firearms confiscations order left “many legal gun owners”, as well as other law abiding citizens, with no means to protect themselves, their property, or their families.
The questions that many people asked at that time were;
- What was the justification for the confiscation of these firearms?
- Doesn’t this violate my Second Amendment Rights?
- What were their reasons for doing this to us?
- Who’s going to protect us now?
- Was it a because this was a state of emergency, the need to enact martial law, or to calm their [politicians] own fears?
- Was this act of gun confiscation from our Liberal Democrats in New Orleans?
- Was it someone from our Federal Government who has done this?
- Did one or two people with high hopes and political ambitions take it upon themselves to violate our Constitutional Rights and our rights to protect ourselves from the violence of others?
- Or could it have been a political party who was distanced from the disaster, but who had gun control ambitions on their own political agendas?
Well at the time I guess it all depended upon who you listened to on the radio, who you read in the newspapers, or which political party you decided to follow in America that would give you the answers. Or maybe not! Of course our mainstream media types provided us with “only” the answers they wanted you to hear, although it was not always the real truth of the matter, as we all know.
Following a long and drawn out [3 year] legal battle between the City of New Orleans versus the NRA, and further assisted by the Second Amendment Foundation, over the unconstitutional confiscation of legally owned firearms, a judge [Carl J. Barbier] issued a permanent court injunction against the City of New Orleans, then Mayor Ray Nagin and its Police Chief at the time, Warren Riley.
In a statement issued by the City of New Orleans, the city admitted that the firearms confiscation ordered by Mayor Nagin and Chief Riley was unconstitutional and was illegal by its very nature. Following this admission, the City of New Orleans, its officers and agents were required to:
- Cease and desist the unlawful confiscation of legally owned firearms, and to make aggressive attempts, through all available means possible, to locate the lawful owners of the firearms that were confiscated and return them to their possession immediately.
Years later, the State of Louisiana passed their own laws, which specifically forbids law enforcement agencies or officers from disarming law abiding citizens [again]. But what about the rest of our nation? What will happen the next time a disaster of this magnitude hits our communities? Which community of legal gun owners are next to be disarmed by overzealous and constitutionally challenged government officials?
Keep listening, keep reading, and keep searching everyone! You might just be surprised by what you find…
Will our government once again put the “Katrina Test for Firearms Confiscation” to use, against legal gun owners here in America? And if they do attempt to confiscate our firearms, will they fire upon those Americans who fail to comply with their unconstitutional demands? Unfortunately the answer you are seeking may be a resounding… “Yes, they might!”
For as long as we have politicians, elected officials and others who continue to “fear what they wish to control”, then our nation’s next gun confiscation may very well be in “your own city”. Even when it violates our 2nd Amendment rights, and our rights to protect ourselves under this Constitution!
Stay Safe and Stay Legally Armed America!
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