A little rant/history from my uncle..notice the 4th and 5th paragraphs...scares me...
>La code Napoléon was decreed from Paris on 5 >March 1803. On 30 April 1803, Bonaparte sold >Louisiana to the United States. So, the effective >period during which the code actually prevailed >under French governance was no more than 57 days. >What was more important in the early development >of law in Louisiana was the Siete Partidas of the Spanish Empire. > >That having been said, my understanding is that, >when the courts are closed because of some kind >of major disruption, whether natural or human, >either the state governor or the federal >president may declare a state of martial law. >This was certainly done by Gov. McKeithen when, >in 1968, Baton Rouge got shut down because of the >race riots. I know this for a fact because (a) I >encountered troops from the National Guard >equipped with assault rifles, some mounted with >sniper scopes, and (b) I was arrested for >violating curfew. Until being arrested, I was >enjoying a nocturnal stroll to see what martial >law looks like after sundown. Very curiously, >that was not to be the last time I would be >staring down the barrel of a gun. On another >occasion, also in Baton Rouge, the gun was being >fired. Law and order, I was bound to conclude, are good things. > >It seems clear to me that it required much >thought, planning, effort, and cooperation among >the most excellent federal, state, parish, and >municipal politicians that money can buy to bring >New Orleans to the condition in which we find it >today. For me, this was driven home by the floods >of '93 during which I piled up sandbags along the >River des Peres for six weeks in St. Louis. I >thought a lot about New Orleans. Long ago, we >ought to have emulated the Dutch (a) by >constructing backup levees that would be of >service when the primary barriers fail and (b) by >creating flood plains or basins into which water >may be allowed to flow so as to relieve pressure >on the levees. The Dutch figured this out in >1953. Since their floods of '53, they have not >had a catastrophe. The North Sea, in fact, is a >greater threat to the Netherlands than is the >Gulf Of Mexico to New Orleans. But I just >remembered, we are not Dutch. Misschien zouden wij moeten zijn! > >It is also clear that, in regard to New Orleans, >there was no genuine disaster-plan. And it >impresses me greatly that, in regard to >evacuation and to matters of search and rescue, >questions of security were not thought to be >important. This is insane. If Gov. Blanco was >invoking martial law by declaring a "state of >emergency," it's a wonder to me that she did not >exercise the plenipotentiary powers associated with martial law. > >The Islamists are now praising their dwarfish god >for the wrath he is alleged to inflicted this >week on the United States. You can bet your boots >that the terrorists are observing our response to >this mess very closely. They are, I am certain, >feeling very cheerful this evening. Thank you, Gov. Blanco et al. > >I greatly mourn Fats Domino. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Find out how CFTicket can increase your company's customer support efficiency by 100% http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=49 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:172102 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
