I went out to dinner last night with my husband and a friend in town for Dash-8 training from New Orleans. I am sad to report that the restaurant (Snapper’s Bayside in Key Largo) sucked but the company was entertaining as all hell. Because I was there the guys tried not to talk work much but eventually the conversation turned to Katrina stories.
I know it’s the popular myth that the US Govt was nowhere to be found during that disaster but they were – in fact – all the hell over the place trying to cover a disaster area the size of Great Britain. It wasn’t just New Orleans that got hit as the press would have you believe. Other places were in far worse shape after the storm. There were reports of crime all over the place but here is a window into one story you might find interesting. I won’t identify departments. Several were working this particular incident.
A call came in that a man with a gun had essentially taken over the MRE distribution center next to a trailer park using a gun to keep people away and take the MRE’s for himself. A helicopter, already in the area, with agents, arrived to confront the man. Two agents walked over to several large men one can only describe as bad assed, tattoed, scary as hell white trash.
Agent: We have a report that someone here has a gun and is hoarding MRE’s, intimidating the other residents. Which one of you has the gun.
The men all denied.
Agent Two: (Pointing to the most aggressive of the group) Do a 360. (Spots the gun in his back pocket reaches in and takes it.)
The men go nuts yelling and telling the agents they can’t take his gun. The agent calmly emptied the chamber and clicked the saftey on.
Agent: If you have a permit I will return it with a warning. Right now this is just a report we are following up on. We have a lot to do. Produce the paperwork and we’ll head out.
No paperwork is produced. They gave them a verbal warning and recommended that they get back to clearing up the damage and to cut the intimidation crap and then they left, taking the gun.
Two hours later the local police got another call that white trash man found out who had called in the complaint, got another gun and was heading over to kill the guy. They confronted him and shot him dead when he threatened them with the new gun. He had a meth lab and a record miles long.
That was one of a hundred stories that one day alone.
Recently:
- Too Tired to Rant
- And this is why I hesitated to “join”
- NPR Incapable of writing article on Tea Party without first calling members stupid
- Monday Morning Sift
- Sunday Rant
- House Keeping
- Work with me here
- Did not watch the speech
- Specter Tells Bachmann To Act Like A “Lady”
- Cradle to an Early grave
