A Clear Warning

Hurricane season is here, and Mayor Ray Nagin is still in office in New Orleans. Warren Riley is the Superintentdent of Police in New Orleans. Both men are implicated in the 2005 gun grab attempt after hurricane Katrina. Over a thousand illegally confiscated firearms are still being held by the NOPD. Today, The Second Ammendment Foundation stated their position clearly.

"If a devastating storm hits New Orleans, or anywhere else along the Gulf Coast or Atlantic Seaboard, we will expect the constitutional rights of citizens to be respected, not raped," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. "We're adopting a zero tolerance policy."

Gottlieb noted that the current legal action against New Orleans by SAF and the National Rifle Association has not yet been satisfactorily resolved. At one point, SAF and NRA attorneys were prepared to request a contempt citation against Nagin and Police Superintendent Warren Riley.

"And we'll go forward with that if necessary," Gottlieb stated. "If Ray Nagin thinks his re-election gives him some sort of mandate to repeat last September's outrage, he is mistaken. We did not go to court on a lark. This is not some kind of elaborate joke. We're simply not kidding. Is there any part of that the mayor doesn't understand?"

Gottlieb did not rule out the possibility that SAF would call for Justice Department investigations of any gun confiscations, and the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in such an operation.

"The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was the first time in this country that the government ever moved to disarm citizens," Gottlieb said, "and it better be the last. We're letting Mayor Nagin and Superintendent Riley, and all other public officials in the hurricane region know that we will be watching them closely this summer."

Meanwhile, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections is at a loss to explain the increase in applications for concealed carry permits in Louisiana. Applications for the permits fell 15 percent in September 2005, after Katrina. Apparently everyone was getting the hell out of Dodge. Applications rose 20 percent in October 2005, according to Louisiana State Police, the agency responsible for administering them. Applications have since grown 34 percent to 195 in March and April 2006, State Police said.

"Interest in concealed weapons comes in spurts and usually follows an increase in violent crime, including armed robbery," said Capt. Bobby Font, who teaches the classes with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office. Yep, it seems as though this increase is following that pattern. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections finds the increase inexplicable. Go figure.......