Thursday, September 08, 2005

Gun Fight: Officials in New Orleans are confiscating guns from residents being rescued (Hat Tip, Volokh Conspiracy). The article doesn't say exactly why firearms are being collected, but I imagine the thought is to limit incidents of rescuers getting shot at.

I'll hold off on the debate as to whether this is constitutional (Normally I'd say no, but emergency situations sometimes call for temporary moratoriums on certain civil rights). However, this is bad policy, period.

The thugs aren't just shooting at the rescuers. They are holding up residents all over the city. And those citizens have a right to protect their homes and themselves from such a threat. This is especially true now since the police are largely occupied with rescue efforts and can't maintain law and order.

Disarming law-abiding citizens only puts more people's lives in danger as criminals hold onto their guns. If we've learned anything from this incident, it's that sometimes the government can't be there to take care of all the problems that arise. It's counterproductive to confiscate the tools people need to take care of themselves.