Martial Law Declared in New Orleans

[WT]

FOX NEWS has just reported that martial law has been declared in the City of New Orleans.

Unfortunately, they did not say who declared it or what are the limitations.

I assume that since the city courts and jails are not working, and that the police and fire departments are overwhelmed, that the Louisiana National Guard has been granted permission to arrest and detain individuals.

Coast Guard videos shows 'coasties' chopping thru the roofs of houses. It appears that people who did not evacuate have climbed into their attics to escape the rising floodwaters and are now trapped inside.

The water in New Orleans is still rising. I gather the city's drain pumps are inoperable.

Grim news, indeed!

 

[WT]

MARTIAL LAW DECLARED: Situation Deteriorating
CBS News - Tuesday, August 30, 2005 10:37 AM

New Orleans, LA - Martial Law has been declared in New Orleans as conditions continued to deteriorate. Water levels in The Big Easy and it's suburbs are rising at dangerous levels and officials stated they don't know where the water is coming from. Residents are being urged to get out of New Orleans in any way they can as officials fear "life will be unsustainable" for days or even weeks.

 

[waterhouse]

What exactly does martial law mean in New Orleans? I've hear of martial law but never really considered the meaning, and from a quick google search I got that civil laws, rights, and liberties are suspended and the military has complete control.

It doesn't seem like anyone has the ability to have control. They can't drive on any major road because they are underwater. What is the military going to do?

 

[DelayedReaction]

The water is rising still because a two block section of the leevee holding back the lake has broken and flooded the city. Supposedly about 80% of the city is underwater at the moment, and since the pumps aren't on it's not going to drain.

 

[Preacherman]

It's not so much that martial law is needed right now, but it's going to be needed in the days and weeks to come. You have over a million evacuees from NO and points south who want to come home, and there's no way they'll be allowed to do so for at least a few weeks - water, downed power lines, massive toxic pollution, damaged and destroyed houses, looting, etc. are all dangers too great to be faced right now. Martial law lets the State government use the National Guard to enforce a no-return rule, and also allows them to administer a much tighter control over people when they do return. Normal "community policing" isn't going to work when you have all these people utterly dependent on outside aid to survive (remember, there won't be jobs to go back to, as the companies are underwater; there won't be shops, gas stations, etc. to use, as they're ditto; and so on).

Martial law also makes it easier to deal with criminals (looters, etc.). "Stop or I'll shoot!" BANG! No questions asked - normal legal restrictions don't apply.

 

[LAR-15]

Wasn't martial law declared after Hurricane Andrew?

 

[Navy joe]

Water levels in The Big Easy and it's suburbs are rising at dangerous levels and officials stated they don't know where the water is coming from.

Hmmm, I'm no hydrological rocket scientist, but If I had to hazard a guess I'd have that big river and that big lake that sit above town as my prime suspects.

I really feel bad for the Coast Guard, having to cut people out of their house rooves. It is probable that 99.9% of people that have a house have a car or at least enought money for a ticket out of town. Yet they stay and now the Coast guard has to pluck them off of or out of their roof. If I was that aircrewman I'd probably be punching the "victim" in the head for the entire horse collar ride up to the helo for being to dumb to heed days of quite unambiguous warnings.

 

[CAS700850]

I saw on the news last night that Mississippi was already reporting looting in some of the areas. It simply amazes me. I watched video of a guy that drove into chest deep water, and another man just dropeed what he was doing and ran into the water to help him. At the same time, in another place, criminals are running loose trying profit from the disaster.

Nothing like a disaster to bring out both the best and worst in people.

So, if they are looting, time to send in the Guard.

 

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

Wasn't martial law declared after Hurricane Andrew?

Yes.

I still haven't seen a good definition of the limits (if any) of power that the government has when martial law is declared.

(Followup:

Clause 2: The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

So you can shoot 'em without a judge; you just can't imprison 'em.)

BTW, the Tennessee state constitution prohibits martial law.

- pd

 

[MikeIsaj]

One thing Martial Law does is empower the Nat'l Guard and federal troops to enforce law. The law they enforce is the law of the local Commander acting under the authority of his orders from the Governor or the President. It is the authority that says you better listen to the guardsman when he says "stop or I'll shoot."

 

[Andrew Rothman]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000848.html

Looting Begins in New Orleans

By ALLEN G. BREED
The Associated Press
Tuesday, August 30, 2005; 12:47 PM

NEW ORLEANS -- With much of the city emptied by Hurricane Katrina, some opportunists took advantage of the situation by looting stores.

At a Walgreen's drug store in the French Quarter, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.


A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Flood waters continue to rise in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage when it made landfall on Monday.

When police finally showed up, a young boy stood in the door screaming, "86! 86!" _ the radio code for police _ and the crowd scattered.

Denise Bollinger, a tourist from Philadelphia, stood outside and snapped pictures in amazement.

"It's downtown Baghdad," the housewife said. "It's insane. I've wanted to come here for 10 years. I thought this was a sophisticated city. I guess not."

Around the corner on Canal Street, the main thoroughfare in the central business district, people sloshed headlong through hip-deep water as looters ripped open the steel gates on the front of several clothing and jewelry stores.

One man, who had about 10 pairs of jeans draped over his left arm, was asked if he was salvaging things from his store.

"No," the man shouted, "that's EVERYBODY'S store."

Looters filled industrial-sized garbage cans with clothing and jewelry and floated them down the street on bits of plywood and insulation as National Guard lumbered by.

Mike Franklin stood on the trolley tracks and watched the spectacle unfold.

"To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society," he said.

----


http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050830/NEWS0110/508300382/1260

1,600 soldiers activated to aid cleanup, deter looting

By Joshua Cogswell
[email protected]

More than 1,600 Mississippi National Guard soldiers have been activated to assist with emergency operations — and more could be activated once Hurricane Katrina's fury has passed.

About 100 National Guard troops are on the coast assisting local officials there, more than 500 are at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg awaiting orders, and about 1,000 are on standby to help with damage in the rest of the state, said Lt. Col. Tim Powell, a spokesman for the National Guard.

Those activated account for about 19 percent of the 8,500 National Guard troops in the state who have not been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Powell, reached by cell phone at Camp Shelby, said the troops will be deployed for as long as they are needed.

About two dozen National Guard soldiers spent their Monday awaiting orders at the National Guard Armory on Raymond Road in Jackson. The soldiers of the 210th Finance Battalion napped, played cards or stood in doorways gawking at strong winds that whipped at trees outside.

"That's about all they can do until we get orders," said their commander, Lt. Col. Steve McCoy.

McCoy said the soldiers probably will get orders this morning. He said his unit likely will be activated for 10 days, providing ice and clean drinking water wherever it is needed.

South Jackson resident Sgt. William Spillers, 38, grew up in Gulfport and has relatives on the Coast. "You can't help but be worried about them," he said. "But it looks like my family here will be OK because most of the damage looks like it will be to the east."

Depending on the extent of the damage, the National Guard will consider deploying more troops to hurricane-ravaged areas. Powell said the state might also ask for assistance from Guard units in surrounding states.

The three engineering units on the coast will assist with evacuations, search and rescue, and clearing debris, Powell said. A contingent of about 30 military police will assist local law enforcement.

Adj. Gen. Harold Cross warned potential looters that military police units will be out. "If you're in the business of theft, now may not be the best time to ply your trade," Cross said. "We will be very, very aggressive with those that try to take advantage of this situation."

Said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency director Robert Latham: "We could not do this enormous task without the National Guard and its troops."

 

[kbr80]

"No," the man shouted, "that's EVERYBODY'S store."

Socialism in action.

"To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society," he said.

I saw a video of a grocery store being looted, all the participants were black.



Looters should be shot on sight.

 

[foghornl]

My up-close-and-personal adventure in Hurricanes and the aftermath was Hugo, Charleston, SC September 21, 1989.

A few miscreants (for lack of a more fitting term) decided to loot some of the fancy stores in Downtown Charleston. Went out during the "eye" of Hugo, and a couple of them were never found, after the backwall of Hugo came in.

A couple of days later, I convinced 4 [ahem] 'free-lance gatherers' that perhaps a better line of work was in order. The muzzle of my Marlin 99 pointed in their general direction helped my argument. (Not sure if 17 rounds of .22LR would have stopped 4 Wise N. Heimers, but certainly didn't hurt my cause. Those CCI "Stingers" are named that for a reason.)

Wow, looking at R.H. Lee's post below, I didn't realize that "Nawlins" was 60+% Black.

 

[R.H. Lee]

New Orleans statistics and demographics

 

[GunGoBoom]

It's insane. I've wanted to come here for 10 years. I thought this was a sophisticated city

Ha, which rock have you been living under lady? If the store owners aren't defending their wares, it makes me wonder if the insur. co.'s are going to deny coverage for the looting, saying it was preventable loss, like when you leave your keys in your car and door unlocked...kinda doubt it, fortunately for them.

 

[Phyphor]

Um,

what does their skin color have to do with anything? I'm pretty sure there's plenty of white (and maybe other ethnic backgrounds/ races) looting going on that hasn't been captured on film..

Do agree on the 'shoot looters on sight' part, though.

 

[kbr80]

what does their skin color have to do with anything? I'm pretty sure there's plenty of white (and maybe other ethnic backgrounds/ races) looting going on that hasn't been captured on film..

Skin color has nothing to do with it, so dont make this racial. I was posting about what I saw on TV. Cant dispute that.

 

[Augustwest]

I saw a video of a grocery store being looted, all the participants were black.

Not sure what your point is, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it doesn't belong on THR...

Scumbags are scumbags, no matter their color, religion, or choice in pets.

 

[kbr80]

Not sure what your point is, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it doesn't belong on THR...

MY POINT IS REPORTING WHAT I VIEWED ON THE NEWS. If THR is going to censor, and THR members get in an uproar over a news report just becasue it is posted here, you all need to settle down. It is not a racial slur, not trying to start a race baiting thread, it is a SIMPLE post of what I say on TV. :banghead:

 

[Sam Adams]

I saw a video of a grocery store being looted, all the participants were black.

I would say that the last 5 words were quite unnecessary. While the fact may be true, I really don't see the point. It would be just as accurate, in all likelihood, to say that they were all Christian. Again, so what?

I'd personally say that all of the participants were now wanted criminals, but that's me.

 

[etex]

Race really has nothing to do with looting. But because of the social-economic problems coupled with the "society owes me something" attitude that plauges the "black community" and is encouraged by the NAACP the fact is there will be many more black looters than whites. It is just a sad fact. The same reasons blacks make up less than 20% of the general population but over 50% of the prison population.

 

[JGReed]

kbr80 - if you were just conveying what you saw on TV you why didn't you talk about the ratio of male to female looters? Age makeup? What items they were stealing? Heck, what color clothes they were wearing?

Sorry man, but it sure looks like your remark was racially motivated.

 

[kbr80]

It would be just as accurate, in all likelihood, to say that they were all Christian. Again, so what?

If they all exited a christian church, walked across the street and looted a place, I would have said all the participants were church going christians from what the video displayed. This is not a racial statement, its a statement of fact. Someone, please call off the PC police. :banghead:

 

[gunsmith]

looters skin color?

so what big deal, N.O has a lot of black folks, the stores being looted are probably owned by black folks too.
My uncle killed a lot of us white folks during WW2, they weren't looters, they were Nazi's ...if Germany had alot of black Nazi's he'd a shot them too.

 

[HankB]

As far as the National Guard being called up . . . I hope they still have some Guardsmen available, and they're not all in Iraq. (Wonder how many Guardsmen are unreachable, since their homes in New Orleans are under water?)

A friend of mine was called up for riot control several decades ago during the heyday of "urban unrest" . . . he found that no ammo was issued, he had to bring his own. (This is a hint for today's Guardsmen. ) When the callup ended, the officer corps seemed a bit upset for some reason when they found out that the men actually had been carrying loaded guns.

As for kbr80's comments, I note that while some say his remark was racially motivated, and some say it was unnecessary, nobody has said it was factually incorrect. We're in deep PC trouble if accurately reported facts are considered objectionable.