Hurricane Katrina has brought to light some of the darker aspects of society. Whether one live in the United States or not, one can see that there has been much good, but also much bad that has occurred there.

There are stories of rescues, heroism, charitable giving, etc. There are also stories of looting in the cities, rapes and murders (even of children) in the shelters such as the Superdome and Convention Center, breaking and entering into people's homes, etc.

Where was the government to prevent these things? Where were the police? The sad fact is that even if they had been present in the Superdome, the Convention Center or in the neighborhoods, they simply couldn't have stopped what happened. The looting occurred where the police weren't. This is always the case because when the police show up, the looters scatter (or they have lookouts). There were simply too many refugees in the shelters for police to adequately protect them, even if they had been there.

The state will bear no liability for these crimes. Simply put, the state never promises protection from criminals. It will do its best to try to protect citizens, but it knows that it cannot do it 100% effectively and therefore it makes no promise and carries no responsibility. After all, it is the criminals who are responsible for their own actions, right?

The reality (IMHO) is that we, as citizens, need to protect ourselves. That isn't to say that the police and government in general won't help, but we simply cannot rely on them to do it for us. I know that if I'm ever involved in a tragic situation like the aftermath of a hurricane, I'll be better prepared. I'll have my own transportation. I'll be equipped for my own sustenance and evacutation if necessary. I'll be armed against the criminals who inevitably follow such events.

The founding fathers of the United States knew this. They made provision for civilians to defend themselves. Too many people have ignored this and those who have are at the mercy of the criminals.

Am I right? Can the Government and police protect us? Was New Orleans just an aberration?

-- Jeff

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"Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem." --Ronald Reagan