FOLLOW UP TO NEW ORLEANS

You, no doubt, remember the shocking video -- law-abiding citizens having their guns stolen... not by looters or hoodlums, but by officials acting under color of law.

Many of you saw it here first. GOA posted several videos at http://www.gunowners.org/notb.htm to document the gun confiscation that was
taking place in New Orleans in September.

It was hard to believe that this was happening in our own country. American troops were going house-to-house, smashing through doors and taking firearms. One would have thought it was video tape from Cuba or Cambodia, not from the state of Louisiana.

But what has happened since then?

Well, the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District in Louisiana issued a restraining order to stop authorities from confiscating firearms on September 23.

So what happens now to those corrupt officials who were stealing firearms? Will they be held accountable? Or, will every guilty official simply receive the equivalent of a hand slap, like a child caught sneaking a cookie?

To this end, GOA sent a letter to U.S. Inspector General Glenn Fine last month to request action. The letter cites newspaper articles and TV news broadcasts to demonstrate that National Guard troops, police and U.S. marshals were confiscating firearms in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The letter also reminds General Fine that the U.S. District Court in Louisiana put a stop to this illegal taking on September 23.

In light of this overwhelming evidence, GOA urged General Fine to "investigate who are the guilty parties who need to be held accountable for perpetrating these harmful acts against innocent Americans."

General Fine has the authority to investigate the criminal acts of federal officials and to refer them for prosecution.

(GOA sent a similar letter to the Attorney General of Louisiana, requesting that he bring charges against state-level officials who were stealing the firearms of citizens in the Big Easy. These letters can be viewed at http://www.gunowners.org/notb.htm on the GOA website.)

So far, it appears that General Fine has been dragging his feet on this request -- which is why he may need to hear from folks all around the country.

ACTION: Please contact U.S. Inspector General Glenn Fine and urge him to conduct his own investigation into the gun confiscation scandal and to refer guilty parties over for prosecution.

You can use the pre-written letter below to direct your comments to General Fine. Or, you can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send General Fine the pre-written letter as an e-mail message.

--- Pre-written letter ---

Glenn Fine
U. S. Department of Justice
Office of the Inspector General
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 4706
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Dear General Fine:

I'm sure you are aware of the fact that government officials were confiscating the firearms of law-abiding citizens in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, in violation of state and federal law.

On September 23, the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District in Louisiana issued a restraining order to stop these authorities from
confiscating firearms in New Orleans.

However, I am dismayed there have been no reports that Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez is pursuing legal action against officials who stole firearms from the citizens of Louisiana.

What these officials did was criminal, and the federal government needs to send a clear and convincing message to all who work under its auspices. They need to learn that the civil rights of Americans cannot be violated without there being a price to pay.

The Rule of Law demands that the guilty parties be forced to account for their actions. And for this reason, I hope you will seriously investigate this matter.

Please let me know what you intend to do. Thank you.

Sincerely,

****************************
Stop Supporting the Big Anti-gun Internet Service Providers!

The parent companies of AOL / Time Warner / Compuserve, Sprint / Mindspring / Earthlink, and Southwestern Bell -- just to name a few -- have all given money in the past to Sarah Brady. Now, there is an ISP dedicated to gun rights and the sporting life. Plus a portion of your monthly fee will be donated to GOA. By switching to Outdoors Unlimited, you move money away from the Brady Bunch and to the fight for the Second Amendment. Check out http://www.outdoorsunlimited.net and consider switching your Internet service today.

http://www.gunowners.org/a110105.htm