The looters will have fun in Texas!

[mr.stuart]

Mandatory hurricane evacuation law will go into effect in Sept.
Comments 26 | Recommend 0
July 26, 2009 - 2:58 PM
Posted by: Nicole Murray

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - Police can arrest people who dont leave town under mandatory evacuation orders under a new state law that goes into effect in the heart of Texas' hurricane season.

The law was passed this year and is effective Sept. 1. It also applies to other disasters, such as fires or floods.

As it stands, officials cannot compel people to evacuate, only warn that those who stay behind won't have any emergency services at their disposal.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports the new law gives county judges and mayors the power to authorize use of "reasonable force" to remove people from the area.

I understand people who do not evacuate are on their own until after the storm,but how will this work? There are not enough police in any given area to force everyone to leave. So,will 500,000 soldiers come in to guard homes and business? No,it will not happen. The thieves will ride out the storm,then it will be like winning the lottery for them. Cops going to put them in jail? Where? My solution is ,if you stay,you are alone until after the danger has passed. What is reasonable force? Taser? Gun to the head? This may look good on paper, but let 'officials' try to evacuate Houston in 1 day.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[TN_Mike]

This law strikes me as being unconstitutional. How can the government force you to leave your home for any reason?

I will be looking forward to the legal challenge on this one.

[jbone]

I will be looking forward to the legal challenge on this one.

Same here

[F350]

TN_Mike

This law strikes me as being unconstitutional. How can the government force you to leave your home for any reason?

Because they are the government.

I was listening to the news this morning and the federal government is contemplating "forcing" everyone to buy health insurance, so far I have been unable to find that clause in the constitution.

[jca1]

well the gov. wants to reform healthcare. The cant do anything really except try to make health ins. cheaper. Im sure when they asked how, lobbyist told them to make everyone buy it, then they could lower the price, still make a potload of money and give more to the ones that make it happen.

[alfack]

You too can be like Harry Truman when Mt. St. Helens erupted.

Crotchety Harry Truman remains an icon of the eruption

I think it is total BS and kind of goes against traditional Texas independence. Nobody should have the authority to boot you from your own home, even if you would rather die there.

The looters are not going to evacuate.

[PointnClick]

Lay in some supplies, turn out the lights, load all your magazines, and don't answer the door.

[edr9x23super]

Look on the bright side, if a storm is bad enough where they are evacuating everybody out of the area, perhaps the thieves will take a chance and stay, and the strom will wipe them off the face of the map along with a few other odd and ends.

Natures way of cleaning out the trash and getting ready for renewal.....

[Huzar]

I think it is total BS and kind of goes against traditional Texas independence. Nobody should have the authority to boot you from your own home, even if you would rather die there.

I agree with you in principle but it's not that simple. 99% of those who choose not to evacuate will call for help and as a result thin stretched emergency services resources will get even more stretched.

Look at Katrina: folks were warned multiple times and after SHTF they accused goverment of not doing enough to save them. Some folks even went as far and said that they should have been forcefully removed for their own safety cause as regular folks they just didn't know any better.

If we could guarantee that noone will have to go rescue those who stay behind I support no mandatory evacuation requiremnt. If we could guarantee that those folks will not put their children in danger due to their stubborness I support no mandatory evacuation requirement BUT since folks often don't seem to have the common sense to do what's right..... I say drag them outta there (literally if need be).

[mr.stuart]

I agree with you in principle but it's not that simple. 99% of those who choose not to evacuate will call for help and as a result thin stretched emergency services resources will get even more stretched.

Look at Katrina: folks were warned multiple times and after SHTF they accused goverment of not doing enough to save them. Some folks even went as far and said that they should have been forcefully removed for their own safety cause as regular folks they just didn't know any better.

If we could guarantee that noone will have to go rescue those who stay behind I support no mandatory evacuation requiremnt. If we could guarantee that those folks will not put their children in danger due to their stubborness I support no mandatory evacuation requirement BUT since folks often don't seem to have the common sense to do what's right..... I say drag them outta there (literally if need be).

You make solid points. The thing to consider is New Orleans attitude is very different from where I live. One of my neighbors rode out Rita. He had 3 pines fall on his home. After the storm, he and other neighbors,cut the trees and covered his roof. He ran off 3 looters for sure and probably many more. In my part of Texas,so far, we do not rob our own stores and cry for our impotent government to help. One good old boy brought his own track-hoe after Rita,and cleared the roads in an entire neighborhood.

[Huzar]

You make solid points. The thing to consider is New Orleans attitude is very different from where I live. One of my neighbors rode out Rita. He had 3 pines fall on his home. After the storm, he and other neighbors,cut the trees and covered his roof. He ran off 3 looters for sure and probably many more. In my part of Texas,so far, we do not rob our own stores and cry for our impotent government to help. One good old boy brought his own track-hoe after Rita,and cleared the roads in an entire neighborhood.

Oh I agree with you: I think that folks should be responsible for themselves and their actions and their wellbeing. Unfortunately for one good old boy like that you have a dozen idiots nowadays... even in Texas :(

[mlr1m]

I agree with you in principle but it's not that simple. 99% of those who choose not to evacuate will call for help and as a result thin stretched emergency services resources will get even more stretched.

Look at Katrina: folks were warned multiple times and after SHTF they accused goverment of not doing enough to save them. Some folks even went as far and said that they should have been forcefully removed for their own safety cause as regular folks they just didn't know any better.

If we could guarantee that noone will have to go rescue those who stay behind I support no mandatory evacuation requiremnt. If we could guarantee that those folks will not put their children in danger due to their stubborness I support no mandatory evacuation requirement BUT since folks often don't seem to have the common sense to do what's right..... I say drag them outta there (literally if need be).

Using this logic the Government could justify any actions they may wish to use. This thinking flies in the face of freedom.

Michael

[Huzar]

[larefugee]

I agree with you in principle but it's not that simple. 99% of those who choose not to evacuate will call for help and as a result thin stretched emergency services resources will get even more stretched.

Why do you care how thin resources are stretched? You already evacuated the city, or if you stayed you did so knowing that you would probably have to rely on yourself. Those that are ill equipped will suffer accordingly and learn from the experience if they survive.

[Huzar]

Why do you care how thin resources are stretched? You already evacuated the city, or if you stayed you did so knowing that you would probably have to rely on yourself. Those that are ill equipped will suffer accordingly and learn from the experience if they survive.

Cause I'm one of those idiots that's stupid enough to go get the ones that decide to stay behind out...... And that takes away at times from those who got trapped and left behind by accident.

Oh yeah and no they wont suffer and learn from the experience because the society wants the best of both worlds... they want the freedom of choice and they want the socialistic handholding as well. Look at all the recent cataclysms and prove me wrong..... Everyone wants to do things their own way till things get ugly and then they yell "HELP". Until as a society we grow some balls and stick to our principles and say: "you wanted to stay... then tough cookies" we will have to deal with laws like the one they passed in TX.