Tuesday, June 06, 2006

No Texas Disarmament

Yes, I know it's late, but still worthy...

Gun-toting Texans can relax about one concern this hurricane season: The state has no plans to disarm residents in the wake of a big storm.

A questioner got big applause at Brazoria County's hurricane preparedness conference Thursday when he asked whether law enforcement agencies were going to demand that private citizens surrender their firearms after a storm.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Randy Jones said taking firearms from citizens has never been part of a state plan.

He recalled going to Bridge City after that town was slammed by Hurricane Rita in September and seeing a homemade sign that read, "You loot, we shoot."

Residents conducted armed patrols to make sure that homes and businesses were secure, he said. State troopers going into the damaged area assisted the patrols, rather than stopping them.

"The locals know much better who belongs in their neighborhoods than a DPS trooper who may be from as far away as Lubbock," Jones said. "If you're guarding your neighbor's home with a shotgun, nobody is going to bother you.

"Of course, if you're walking out of his house with a television set, then we're going to arrest you," he concluded, drawing a big laugh.


Maybe I should have paid more attention to the news. I never knew about the armed patrols, the state troopers' assistance of them, or the "You Loot, We Shoot" sign. (No doubt that was not the only one!) What a stark yet refreshing contrast to the rape of the Constitution that occurred in the Big Easy in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Jeff at Alphecca makes a great point, though...

Promises are like turds. You can make a bunch of them but that doesn't mean you keep them...
Put it in writing. Put it in legislative writing. Make it the law that you can't confiscate legally owned firearms from law-abiding citizens.
Even after law enforcement confiscated guns from citizens in New Orleans, lying shit Nagin and company claimed they hadn't done any such thing. It took a court order and a lawsuit to get them to admit that they had.


That last thing is definitely worth pointing out, and it would very much be a good thing to have the proscription of post-disaster arms confiscations codified into state law (and federal law as well, but that's a whole 'nother discussion).
Still, though, I can't help but think that the powers that be here in Texas would never take their cue from Ray Nagin, especially taking into consideration his horrendous performance after Hurricane Katrina. And the fact that it was brought up at that conference, as well as DPS Sgt. Jones' response and that of the audience in general, is heartening, as it shows the confiscations were noted and not forgotten by Texas citizens and that Texas law enforcement saw the value of armed citizen patrols. I know the circumstances would be different, considering the fact that they'd be in their own jurisdiction, but I seem to recall various Texas law enforcement agencies recalling their officers in the wake of the Katrina gun confiscations. Add to that the utter public-relations disaster that would ensue in the state of Texas alone (and we haven't even gotten to those who might shoot back), and all that's left to be said is, those who would take guns in the wake of a Katrina-type disaster in Texas had indeed better beware. Still, though, we need it in the law. There need to be consequences, dire consequences, spelled out in the law for violations of such a natural right. They've gotten away with it so far in southeastern Louisiana. Nagin, Compass and Riley should be sitting behind bars this morning, and should be there for a bloody-well long time, and be held up now and forever as examples of what not to do after a natural disaster. A very, very bad precedent has been set, and we should be fighting as if our lives depend on it to ensure it never happens again. in any event, though...

Buy Ammo. Buy Guns. And train, Train, TRAIN.