New Orleans Gun Grab

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The National Rifle Association's American Rifleman (May 2008) has reviewed the book, "The Great New Orleans Gun Grab: A Descent Into Anarchy."

It is described as a "most disturbing" read, "the story of the injustice imposed on law-abiding New Orleans residents by prowling bands of thugs and then their own government in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster."

"The authors. . .detail individual tales of gunowners defending their homes. . .in lawless days after the hurricane struck and their brutal treatment afterwards by police. . .after NOPD Police Superintendent Eddie Compass ordered: 'No one will be able to be armed. Guns will be taken. Only law enforcement will be allowed to have guns.'"

The book also discusses the "Second Battle of New Orleans" in which the NRA fights to have the unlawfully police-confiscated guns repatriated to their owners. "It is a story of abuse of government power, and after reading it, you too will say 'Never Again.'"

However, the article fails to mention that it was a George Bush-led Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms that was executing this order to illegally disarm legal firearm owners of their weapons, thereby denying them the right to defend their homes and property.

Confiscating firearms on the street during a national or local emergency is a logical tool to control street violence. But invading homes and confiscating legally-held firearms in a criminal activity carried out by tax-paid thugs.

Legally-owned firearms were seized from non-criminal citizens while in their own homes under the George Bush government. Does this sound like the actions of an administration sworn to uphold the Constitution?

It seems constitutional rights are not rights when President Bush says they are not. A constitutionally guaranteed right is inviolable, even in times of crisis. If it is taken away, it is no longer a right.