Comments on: DHS WTF?

By: Buechel

Buechel — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 03:37:25 +0000

Watching the media reports of the washing away of the southern half of the region near Boloxi and the New Orleans area it surprises me to see the individuals LACK of planning at the home. During a cataclysmic event as an event 4 hurricane expect baseline services such as power which drives much of the our modern world to be put back to the early 1800 existance. That also includes eccess to modern medicines and services.To blame a government official for lack of having water and food for more than several days was short sighted. Further too if you had so planned but your house flooded away literally your planning was in error. The choice of the incoming vehicles (air support) first was to be givin to the need to baseline survival. As in not drowning.
There are no reports of other groups the Red Cross or other groups getting in early either. Mostly due to gun crime. When bullets fly in your direction it does get your attention. To mobilize multiple government services with fuel,vehicles capapble of travering high water,food with and security hasn’t seen or talked with people who are in war zone or disaster. Roads cleared and bridges pushed to limits had to be inspected. The communities on the off ramps passed by the units likely were also helped. Before the event why hadn’t the wise critasizing media implanted themselve into the supply rescue teams. They decided to be at the beach instead of in the trenches. It is easy to watch by camera a child crying. It is harder to see the person getting the bottle for the mother. Not noticing thier hard work and planning. He or she walks away unoticed. The hazards by all getting there where chosen by the parents and answered by the a group of individual working hard now to feed hundreds of thousand who made the same error.

By: Byron Skinner

Byron Skinner — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 00:12:06 +0000

Good Afternoon Ray,
I don’t care much for personal attack Ray and will go to much effort to avoid it, but in your case you have elimated any options of a rational discoure. The only reason I assume is that you have no other way to defend you position and to express your opinions.
You have love of ones country confused with following blindly a “Mad” man.
From 1774–1781 another group of people refused to fallow another “Mad” man named George. Today they are affectionly called “Patriots”.
You may challenge my ignorance all you like as I may yours. Thats call debate and it is healthy.
If refuseing to support the irrational, cowardly and insane policies of a failed Predidency is being un-Patriotic then I’m, the same as my brothers since 1774 who have stood on ground saturated with their own blood staring down those who would oppress this country that awards you and others of your mind set the right to critize us.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
“Stewart’s Platoon”

By: Rey

Rey — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 22:04:46 +0000

Mr. Skinner,
How can you live your life with such a poisoned heart? I have read many of you posts, and the vast majority of them are full of cynicism, hatred, paranoia, and a general lack of intelligence. Instead of spewing your ignorance and general hatred towards the government here on a daily, almost hourly basis, I would suggest you channel your boundless energy towards volunteer work.

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 08:08:59 +0000

1. Rey, You are dead on many of your points. I lived in New Orleans for 4 years. The local and state government needed to take on a bigger role with the evacuation. They had all those school buses that they could have used but now are useless because of water damage. While the federal government is to blame, the local and state government share the same blame if not more.
2. What happened to New Orleans had been predicted for decades, they had dodged the bullet more than once. I think when Hurricane Andrew made land fall west of New Orleans in 1992 should have been a wake-up call. People in Florida heed the mandatory evacuation order. Active Duty military personnel stationed in the region were a mandatory order to leave with the exception of essential personnel. The President of Jefferson Parish stated before the Hurricane hit there are die hards out there who will not leave, and unfortunately some will die hard.
3. The people that took food, medical and baby supplies I find nothing wrong with what they did. They did it to survive. When you steal computers, electronics, TV sets and jewelry I do have a problem with that. You are a looter at that point. Tell me how will those electronic devices work without any electricity? I saw a clip on Fox News today that showed some New Orleans Police Officers who had to abandon their precinct when the floodwater rose. They took over a Wal-Mart and they stuff that had been looted was the clothes, electronics and jewelry. What was left was the school supplies, power tools and other items. There are many people down there who depend on the government to take care of them. Why not give them a gold spoon.
4. To Anonymous, BTW is right your wrong. Here is what the Posse Comitatus Act is and how its used. Federal troops cannot be used to enforce civilian laws. That is the responsibility of the National Guard since they fall under control of the Governor. POSSE COMITATUS ACT” (18 USC 1385): A Reconstruction Era criminal law proscribing use of Army (later, Air Force) to “execute the laws” except where expressly authorized by Constitution or Congress. Limit on use of military for civilian law enforcement also applies to Navy by regulation. Dec ’81 additional laws were enacted (codified 10 USC 371–78) clarifying permissible military assistance to civilian law enforcement agencies–including the Coast Guard–especially in combating drug smuggling into the United States. Posse Comitatus clarifications emphasize supportive and technical assistance (e.g., use of facilities, vessels, aircraft, intelligence, tech aid, surveillance, etc.) while generally prohibiting direct participation of DoD personnel in law enforcement (e.g., search, seizure, and arrests). For example, Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETS) serve aboard Navy vessels and perform the actual boardings of interdicted suspect drug smuggling vessels and, if needed, arrest their crews). Positive results have been realized especially from Navy ship/aircraft involvement.
5. My last comment is to the New Orleans Police Officers who resigned. They showed their true colors when they put their tails between their legs and deserted their fellow

By: Concerned Citizen

Concerned Citizen — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 04:02:50 +0000

Ms. Citizen Militia etc.
Are you insane? No, really, are you posting from the Nut House? Citizen Militias patrolling the border? Sounds like an invitation for white supremicists to head south and show what all those years of target practice in Idaho can do, now with real live moving human beings for targets. Every discruntled Tim McVeigh type will pile in thier pick-up trucks to fight thier own desert war if we have militias patrolling, aka hunting Mexicans, along our southern border.
Besides, why would Congress pass such a law? All the border states in the south are already red. All the nutjobs that would join this “militia” vote republican anyway, and no Congressman’s job is at stake. No political advantage gained.
No, keep the rascists, gun nuts, and criminals away from the border and demand Congress increase the military and mandate a physical border patrol mission and presence by the trained military.

By: Citizen_Militias_Now!

Citizen_Militias_Now! — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 23:47:56 +0000

You are the most intelligent message posters on the internet, by the way. Support HR.3622 was coming up for a vote sometime..to have congress do its job re: citizen militias in every state.
I Wrote:
United States House of Representatives
1110 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515–0001
Dear Representative X,
As your constituent, I urgently and strongly urge you to cosponsor and support passage of Rep. John Culberson’s (R-TX) Border Protection Corps Act of 2005 (H.R. 3622).
H.R. 3622 is necessary because federal authorities do not currently have the manpower, the willpower, nor the resources to protect America’s international borders like they are in their interests in Iraq.
We now have sworn testimony by top federal law enforcement officials that potential terrorists from countries with known Al Qaeda connections are entering the United States in significant numbers by assuming false Hispanic identities and hiding among the flood of illegal immigrants pouring across our southern border!
Extremely violent and dangerous criminal gangs like MS-13 and drug smugglers are crossing our southern borders in growing numbers. We must act now or it maybe too late.
This bill enables law-abiding American citizens to help defend our country as a member of a lawful militia force organized into a modern neighborhood watch border patrol program under the direct control of the State’s governor and working in close cooperation with State and Federal law enforcement authorities.
I hope you will consider my concerns and cosponsor this important legislation. I also respectfully request that you respond to my letter, explaining your position on the Border Protection Corps Act.
Sincerely,
Ms. x
(HR3622 would work for crisis management until the Local, state, Fedgov forces can take over. Like in NOLA, right??)

By: Keith Yerian

Keith Yerian — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 15:22:28 +0000

This is no “Bush administration mantra”. It is a fact. All across our coasts we have always had people building homes and businesses in harms way — hoping it will not happen to them. We have had people staying in their homes during the storms — hoping that it would veer left or right. We wait until too late to order evacuations hoping the storm goes another direction. Lets not blame all this on the government and begin to take personal responsibility for ourselves and our choices. And everyone — having guessed wrong on this one lets face up to it and clean up the mess.

By: Tom Ames

Tom Ames — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 15:07:09 +0000

“We have always hoped for the best.” sounds like a Bush administration mantra.
Right up there with “no one thought the leveees might break.”

By: Keith Yerian

Keith Yerian — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 14:56:24 +0000

RE: If the levee breaches had been the result of a terrorist attack, would the response haave been any different?
Levee breaches would have been significantly different in that it would have been much easier to get to the city — perhaps not around the city — but at least to the city. This is a multistate disaster. If terrorists had breached the levees then the airports, major roads, and rivers would have been open and movement within the state would have been much easier. So relief would have been there in hours. However, the number of dead would have been vastly larger since the residents would not have had an opportunity to move out of harms way.
RE: “If we can’t respond faster than this to an event we saw coming across the Gulf for days…“
So — looking backward… when have we ever responded better? We have always hoped for the best. NO is very fortunate that the storm reached Cat 5 before dropping back to Cat 4. Otherwise I suspect the number of residents choosing to stay would have been much higher. And I also suspect that — if a simular storm heads toward NO in a couple of year — many more residents will leave.

By: Tom Ames

Tom Ames — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 13:47:20 +0000

“If we can’t respond faster than this to an event we saw coming across the Gulf for days, then why do we think we’re prepared to respond to a nuclear or biological attack?” asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Republican.
Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts called the government’s response “an embarrassment.”