Anybody see the cover of today's New York Post?

[hay rick]

It was a picture of two white guys in New Orleans, weapons at the ready, waiting for Gustav looters. The caption, if I recall: Storm Troopers. Murdoch wants to go back to the first day of Katrina coverage when all the stories were about looting, gangbangers shooting at police and aircraft, and gang rapes in the Superdome. Most of the stories didn't hold up on later examination and a tidal wave of Bush incompetence stories ultimately drowned out the preferred right-wing spin.

The playbook never changes, so it's time to try it again.

Couldn't find the cover shot, but here's a link to their story:http://www.nypost.com/seven/09012008/news/nationalnews/big_easy_braces_for_katrina_two_126993.htm

Time to scare the white people on behalf of the McCain campaign.

[spin]

1. When you experience a hurricane...

you realize that the cops don't respond when the winds go over a certain level or that they might not not be able to reach your home after the storm because of debris in the streets. You are on your own. Your telephone may or may not work. Cell phone towers might be damaged or down.

A firearm and the training to use it is reassuring even if not necessary. Chances are that looters will take advantage of unoccupied homes. Neighbors become very friendly and tend to help and look out for each other after a storm.

But unfortunately looters do exist and some are predators. If you find yourself confronting a looter, your weapon may deter him without having to fire a shot. Of all criminals, looters rank near the top of the list of the most despicable criminals.

New Orleans had a excellent plan for Gustav. The police had time to make arrangements to protect their home and insure their family was safe. The National Guard was on the scene and patrolling. Most people had evacuated. The mayor said that if looters were caught they would go straight to jail. Looting hasn't proved a problem so far.

But I was disturbed by the picture of the three people in the link posted in the OP. These people look a little too eager to use the weapons they are holding. Using a weapon for self defense is very serious business. If you injure or kill another individual the aftermath may be almost as serious for you as it is for him. Post shooting trauma is very real and can devastate the shooter's life.

I personally would have never consented to have a photograph taken of me holding a weapon in an intimidating manner for publication in a newspaper. If nothing else it makes responsible gun owners look bad.

[hay rick]

2. looking like Aryan nation

I was shocked (but not surprised) that this was the Post's Gustav story. They love stories with a racial subtext. I don't have a problem with people protecting their homes and property. I have a problem with newspapers who anticipate potential looting and make that their headline story. That's fear-mongering and race-baiting.

I think Nagin's threat to send looters straight to Angola may have had a sobering effect.

[spin]

3. Yes those people looked like they might belong to the ....

Aryan Nation. Perhaps that's why the picture disturbed me.

The New York Times was irresponsible to publish that picture. It looks like they were hoping that New Orleans would end up as an anarchy. They probably felt it would increase their sales and profit.

[hay rick]

4. New York Post n/t

[spin]

5. Oops, my bad...(n/t)

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. That's a scary pic but it is not the cover. Here is the cover.

http://www.nypost.com/

[OneMoreDemocrat]

7. It was the cover photo yesterday...

....actually I was wrong, it wasn't the 'gun' family yesterday, just two guys with big guns.