New Orleans

Click above to read an incredible article by the San Francisco Gate about the looting and crime that has occurred after Hurricane Katrina.

What has struck me so strongly about the situation in New Orleans is how so many people are coming face to face with the horrible truth about law enforcement and the role of Government in our lives here in America.

The government at large, and law enforcement in general is not responsible for our individual safety. This is not because they don't want to help, it's just not possible to hold a law enforcement liable unless there is a real clear cut case of negligence, even then it can be rough to prove. It's impossible for them to be there for every crime, or get there in time to stop it.

Check out this quote from the article above:

Tourist Debbie Durso of Washington, Mich., said she asked a police officer for assistance and his response was, "'Go to hell — it's every man for himself.'"

Loud and clear, this officer expressed what is truly going on there. There are simply not enough resources or man power to control the situation there. Law enforcement is just trying to keep things from getting worse, and they are not going to put themselves into harms way if they can help it. Just wearing that badge makes them a big enough target without being a cowboy.

Security is like the economy, what we percieve affects how we react. If we think the economy is bad, we don't spend a lot of money. If we think its good, we are free to spend too much.

When we believe that we are safe in our homes because the police are just a call away, we are relaxed and believe we live in a safe society. But its all an illusion. Several days after a disaster, all of the perceptions of safety and security are gone. Any city can become like New Orleans if enough bad things happen.

I'm not trying to scare you. What I am saying is we should all take something away from this disaster. The government is not going to take care of us. We need to make whatever preparations to take care of ourselves if a time of disaster comes.

Thanks for reading,

AC  ¶ 1:23 AM