Preparations continue along the U.S. Gulf Coast days ahead of the potential arrival of Gustav, which is slowly moving through the Caribbean. Models developed August 27th estimate Gustav will be at hurricane strength and slam into Louisiana Tuesday, September 2.
On Wednesday, on the eve of Friday’s third anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency and asked President Bush to make a “pre-landfall” disaster declaration.
In his letter to the President, Gov. Jindal wrote, “I anticipate that the effects of the storm will overwhelm the capability of state resources and it is necessary that critical pre-positioning and other readiness requirements be provided through federal assistance. I request that federal resources be activated to assist with the evaluation of the incident and sheltering operations.”
So what are the residents of Louisiana doing about the impending disaster, especially with the devastation of Katrina still fresh in their minds?
According to John Snow at The Gun Shots:
We just got a call from Devline Rossell, a charter captain based out of Venice, Louisiana. He was shopping in New Orleans to get some supplies before the arrival of Gustav (currently listed as a tropical storm that has left at least 22 dead in the Caribbean) and reported that the item most in demand was not food, clothing or shelter.
“I just left a sporting goods store and you would think that the number-one selling item would be plywood or potable water or gasoline right now,” he said. “Apparently it is AR-15s and .223 ammo. I watched at least 20 people buy AR-15s and cases of .223.”
Can’t say I’m surprised. After the nightmare that was Katrina I think it would be unwise for anyone to assume the state, local or federal government could guarantee his or her personal safety during a natural disaster. Of course, I think it is foolish to assume that under any circumstance.
The AR buying spree demonstrates that people don’t think of it as an “assault weapon” but rather an arm that is ideally suited for self-defense, which it is. I also suspect that for some of the folks this is their first firearm. Goes to show that not only is there no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole but that there is no such thing as a gun-control advocate in one either.
While I still prefer the firepower of the AK in 7.62×39 over the AR in 5.56×45, I do applaud the citizens of Louisiana for concluding that during a disaster the all-powerful government is usually as helpless as you are, and that for some time you may have to rely entirely on yourself.
Gustav, hurricane, Katrina, Louisiana, .223, AR-15, assault weapon
