An e-mail:
I generally agree with you on most matters, but I’m afraid that I can’t
help but wonder what is wrong with you this morning. The chaos and looting
and gunplay going on in NO right now is one of the primary reasons for the
inability to get aid to the survivors, and may in the end cost hundreds of
lives: if shooting looters and other violent criminals on sight “is not the
proper instinct” in this situation, I don’t know what is. And as for having
a gun for each responsible member of the household in case all Hell breaks
loose – would you mind explaining to us why this “is not the proper
instinct”. That was the situation in our household when I was growing up,
and to be quite frank, I trust my parents “proper instincts” more that I do
yours, at leaset this morning. Please tell me that you are not turning into
a liberal!
ME: The instinct I was talking about was the blanket shoot-the-looters one. A looter with a gun. A violent criminal? There are one thing. But somebody stealing a bottle of water? Wrong. Condemn. But shoot? That was my caution-thinking. I agree with Rich’s instinct on getting a real uniformed crackdown presence. I just don’t want people insisting kids should be walking New Orleans streets with guns in a mess. Mix that with shoot-to-kill orders…is that really the solution?
Excuse me while I apply for a job at The Nation now. I’m sure Katha Pollit would give me a recommendation.