Reply #8: There was outrage (but it wasn't Bush it was the Mayor of New Orleans) [View All]

The NRA even sued to prevent it.

The order to seize lawful weapons came from the Police Chief acting upon orders from the Mayor on New Orleans not Bush.

“No one will be able to be armed. Guns will be taken. Only law enforcement will be allowed to have guns.”

Even after the NRA lawsuit the Mayor and Police chief continued the illegal confiscation of arms in direct violation of a Federal Judge.

It took a SECOND lawsuit in which Mayor & Police Chief were directly named. The Judge issued an injuction directly naming the two and indicated that failure to abide by it or challenge it via legal options would be considered Content. The judge indicated the two could be arrested by Federal agents and held in content of court for failure to abide by the injunction. The temporary injunction later became a permanent injunction in which the City admitted to violating the Constitution of the United States and that it was operating completely outside the law when it illegally seized lawful firearms.

Didn't get a lot of airtime given the breadth of the disaster.

The aftermath lead to a federal bill making it a crime to illegally seize lawful firearms and that Police officers acting (even upon higher order) could be held individually liable for firearms they siezed. No more "I was just following orders" while they trampled the Constitution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_Recovery_Personal_Protection_Act_of_2006

For the record Obama voted in favor of the bill (or more technically the amendment containing the provisions of the bill)
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00202

Clinton was one of only 16 Senators that opposed it.