Triggers and itchy fingers

A lot of people -- including Andrew Sullivan, who is indignant -- are upset about the lack of law and order in the filthy muck that was once New Orleans, and I don't like it either. (My natural response when I saw reports of rescue helicopters being fired upon was "Why the hell didn't they shoot back?" Obviously, they lack the orders to do so.)

What's being forgotten (except by those who'd have ultimate responsibility) is that shooting poor black people who are struggling for their lives won't play well on TV. Bush doesn't want to be the fall guy. Neither, it seems, does the Louisiana governor.

Accepting responsibility for the actual pulling of triggers which will kill Americans is not an easy thing.

Something easier to avoid than do. It's tough for me to point the finger of blame.


EXAMPLE: In a NYT article titled "Officials Struggle to Reverse a Growing Sense of Anarchy," Governor Blanco's measured words reflect this hesitancy:

Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Louisiana said that the death toll from Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath would be in the "thousands," based on reports that she was receiving from officials throughout the state, The Associated Press said.

In a televised news briefing, she said that 12,000 National Guard troops were to arrive in the area in the next several days, as well as police officers and sheriff's deputies from as far away as Michigan.

They will be given arrest and other law enforcement powers, she said, and "looting and other lawlessness will not be tolerated." She also said had instructed them to "strictly enforce Louisiana laws and to use necessary force."

As this Navy site explains, the powers given the National Guard are limited to law enforcement functions, and do NOT include martial law.

(Reports like this to the contrary would seem to be unfounded.)

posted by Eric on 09.02.05 at 08:37 AM





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Comments

New Orleans, like a lot of other cities that rely upon tourist dollars and subsequently have a large underclass of service workers (and in the case of new orleans, non-workers), relied upon a heavy law enforcement presence in the tourist areas to keep order. However, the armed gangs currently terrorizing hurricane victims were engaged in the same pattern of behavior...victimizing other poor whites, blacks, and browns. However, their crimes were largely hidden from view. Now that surface veneer of civilization has been stripped off, the social controls have been removed, and these gangs of preators are able to do whatever they want. But they are being what they have always been.

pillars   ·  September 2, 2005 03:03 PM

They're thrown back to the state of nature -- refuting Rousseau, confirming Hobbes. As to not shooting back to defend themselves because blow-dried TV airheads would call them "racists" -- that's unnatural! -- confirming Orwell.



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