Nobody was listening.

[Christina Peterson]

Not constitution. Law. Police are not allowed to exceed force used by criminals. (At least in theory)

Tina

[Christina Peterson]

I'm not much of a joiner, so I'm not a member of the NRA, but I know a lot of people in the NRA. Most are sport or subsistence hunters, some are "survivalists" (most but not all are moderate), and all are people who believe in limiting the rights the government wants to usurp. One is a psychologist who objects to the tendency for the government to want to take guns from everyone instead of giving psychological help to unstable people.

Guns are useful tools. We have several, because you need the right tool for the right purpose -- .22 carbine, hunting rifle, shot gun, hand gun, etc. And you know what, I'm a tree hugging pacifist!

Gun laws in Alaska are somewhat liberal. Many people rely on wild meat, need occasional protection from wildlife, and are too far away from law enforcement to be able to call on them for help. Must have been 10 years ago now that the Chief of Police in Anchorage specifically mentioned that distance from law enforcement and the responsibility it required one to take. That responsibility mostly means to live peacefully and take necessary precautions. But as someone who has been stalked, I know it might also include violently saving my own life.

The thing is, we are all responsible for our own safety, and sometimes we are lucky enough to have someone pull us out of the fire -- for even if we do everything right we can still have bad luck, and also most of us do make mistakes sometimes.

Most of being responsible actually comes under the heading of good mental health and includes associating with good people and not letting our behaviour call shit down on us. And changing our behaviour if we see a destructive result. (Eg, so if I'd had to shoot my stalker, I'd still have needed to change my behaviour and not allow overly controlling people to think they have rights in my life).

Being responsible also means having a degree of preparedness. For home owners that includes reducing danger from wild fires, maintaining heat and water supplies, etc, and the ability to stand your ground. For other people and in other circumstances it means the flexibility to pick up and go.

Being responsible also means being part of a community -- helping and being helped.

I haven't been watching the N.O. stuff on TV. I just don't watch TV. A cyber friend recently stated that she was "shutting down" and not answering much email now because the Katrina news is too distressing for her. It reminds me of reports after 9-11 of the psychological damage the news reporting was doing. We should all keep that warning in mind.

We should also remember, when criticizing those "lazy" people waiting for help, that most of them are incapacitated by shock to some degree and many have been suffering from heat prostration. I doubt that many there are lazy. I think they are there because of poor judgment, and even optimism. Of stubborn determination. Of not trusting the government to protect their homes. Lots of good reasons that you or I might act on.

By the way, about what percentage of people where stranded in N.O.?

Tina

[Gort]

What changed it was the lawyers. Although they are Officers of The Court they don't hesitate to lie in order to get someone known by them to be guilty completely freed.

If you lie in court you go to jail. When they do they're praised for doing a good job.

[Gort]

It didn't, and you know that. But you said it anyway.

[Gort]

Far more fragile. Try arm wrestling with a gorilla, or carrying ten times your own weight like an ant does. Or, if you prefer something on a smaller scale, try giving a strange cat a bath.

[G Henslee]

You.

No. YOU should sit down with everyone of them and teach them to chant:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Now be gone with you...

[G Henslee]

We'd love that too. May we suggest where you should go?

[G Henslee]

Are you in a hollow somehwere communicating by short wave radio?

[G Henslee]

Oh yes. Well listen genius, I'm going through a hard and difficult situation right now. Please provide me with your address so I can come over, kick you in the balls, stomp on your pointy head, rape your wife and daughters and then take your television.

On second thought, I have no need of a 13" black and white...

[G Henslee]

You give yourself haircuts???

[William Brown]

You probably meant to say third person, but you would still be wrong as the post is written in the first person. So what can we call a wanna-be grammar cop who doesn't know grammar?

[NotMe]

I under go (temporary) conversion every December 24th

[Duane Bozarth]

FDR wrote: ....

Their brains appear to be at least one item not brought in to full play, anyway.

And who didn't have them ready for deployment earlier?

[Duane Bozarth]

....

Keeping order so the latter can be done w/o additional loss of life and preventing the other widespread violence is equivalently important as the former gets in the way of the latter and endangers the would-be resucers safety as well as that of the others.

The TV itself if of no consequence, order is.

[Duane Bozarth]

Included in the loot were large numbers of handguns and other weapons...

[Elmo]

Oh you mean like: I am a compassionate conservative. Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.

[Elmo]

"...nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;"

[Dave Jefford]

Like Pat Robertson, encouraging the assassination of Hugo Chavez, not forgetting Kim Jong-il North Korea, Mugabe Zimbabwe, Ahamadi-Nejad who else should we includes?

Are we the policeman of the world and decide who we should eliminate?

[Dave Jefford]

I did why don't you look for it?

[Dave Jefford]

Why do you need dilithium crystals and where can I buy them? I would love to be able to transport meself anywhere I choose anytime.