martial law called in New Orleans

[brettdale]

Not sure how old this news is, but we just had a report here, that martial law has been called in New Orleans, and that some one has ordered the authorities to be RUTHLESS with any looter.

[sarcasmo]

1. A trial run for late in 07. Start loading up on the can goods.

[neuvocat]

2. Much as I hate to say it

I think that its necessary to resort to something like that (unless its food and water).

[ClintonTyree]

3. Who's going to enforce it?

Operations are still in a search and rescue mode. There are no spare people to enforce this, nobody in that city is going to listen to them. You've seen the wide-spread looting already, that will continue until there's someone to enforce the law.
Declaring "Martial Law" is just like declaring "everything is back to normal". It doesn't mean a thing.

[neuvocat]

11. Turns out you were right.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050831/ap_on_re_us/katrina_looting_hk1

[Silverhair]

4. Media hype. They don't even know what martial law is.

They think that martial law is having troops help out with law enforcement. It isn't that at all.

MSM is being stupid - as usual.

[amber dog democrat]

5. I remember reading how Army units in Galveston

executed looters in the aftermath of the 1900 hurricane. A number were caught in possession of jewelry taken from bodies. I don't suppose it will come to that, but if some one is involved in looting, it'd be a bad career move to get caught there.

[Silverhair]

6. That still wasn't martial law.

As late as the 1950's a policemen could still shoot a person who ran from an officer, even if there was no evidence that they had committed a cime.

In 1900 many people still packed guns in open carry, and shooting looters was the standard procedure. The military were just helping the civilian police.

[amber dog democrat]

7. I agree

Besides maybe some episodes during the Civil War, I don't know of any incidents of martial law in the United States. What about the riots in the 1960s in Newark and other eastern cities? I don't think it happened in Chicago or Watts either.

[Silverhair]

8. Closest would be in the South after the Civil War.

Martial law is when the regular courts system is replaced by a military court system, and the military makes the laws.

[noonwitch]

9. Detroit was occupied by the National Guard following the riots

I think it was 1967. Directly after the riots, the governor (Romney, I believe) called in the National Guard to occupy the city and establish order.

[meganmonkey]

12. My Dad was in the guard in Michigan during the riots

He spent a few days on the top of an ice cream factory in Detroit.

[theflyscotsman]

10. Yup.

Lousiana law doesn't even provide for "martial law". There's simply no such thing in the state. The State of Louisiana, however, has extensive emergency powers to commandeer property, etc, to mitigate a catastrophe.