You are hereby requested by the city to have a firearm!

[Chris]

according to one city...

After seeing the chaos of Hurricane Katrina, a city councilor in this tiny Idaho town founded by pacifist Quakers came up with a novel idea.

Ordinance 208, passed by the City Council on Tuesday, asks Greenleaf’s 862 residents who do not object on religious or other grounds to keep a gun at home in case they are overrun by refugees from the Gulf Coast.

The City Council of Greenleaf, Idaho, passed an ordinance in November to require nearly all residents to keep a gun at home in case the town becomes overrun by people relocating after Gulf Coast storms.

more on the story...

03:42 PM MDT on Friday, September 22, 2006



GREANLEAF - A small Canyon County town is considering a city ordinance that would recommend every homeowner have a gun and know how to use it.

A Greenleaf city council member proposed the idea as part of a plan to handle civil emergencies.

It would create citizen response teams and neighborhood watch groups, but would also recommend citizens own a gun and ammunition.

"We aren't choosing to pick a fight. We're choosing to organize and learn how to defend our own homes," said Greenleaf Mayor Brad Holton.

Holton assumes nearly every person living in his town already owns a gun.

"That's just the nature of our community," said Holton.

So he says little would be changed by adopting this ordinance that "recommends every head of household maintain a firearm and ammunition."

"It's requesting. It's not requiring," said Holton.

Holton says this is part of a larger plan to establish an organized response to a town emergency and a way to ensure Greenleaf's way of life is protected.

"The law enforcement agencies are not able to take care of each person and each private property, so it's up to local cities and local governments to develop a plan of how you're going to do that," said Holton.

The ordinance not only recommends gun ownership. It also recommends training on how to use them.

“If I was a burglar or if I was wanting to cause harm and I had all these cities to go to, why would I pick a city that is organized and trained? I wouldn't. I'd pick a city who isn't," said Holton.

Not everyone in town is in favor of the plan. Quakers founded this city a century ago.

“Historically, we're one of the peace churches," said Friends of Greenleaf Church Pastor Alan Weinacht.

Pastor Alan Weinacht says this ordinance goes too far.


Interview: Mayor discusses the plan

Interview: Pastor says ordinance goes too far
"I'm not going to support that. I think that is falling into that culture of fear, and I'm not going to support that. I'm not going to encourage it. I think that's stepping over a line. It's where we don't need to go," said Weinacht.

Weinacht isn't opposed to owning a gun. He has a few himself but says the city has no business encouraging the use of firearms under any circumstance.

"If we would invest as much time into thinking about creative non-violent responses to violence as we did violent responses, we'd probably gain some ground," said Weinacht.

He sees this proposal could too easily be seen as a call to arms or the development of a city-created militia.

"I think the burden is upon city council to prove this is not what this is about, because it sure sounds like it," said Weinacht.

"Greenleaf isn't about being a vigilante, it's probably the exact opposite. It's a peaceful, small community and quality of life is very, very important to the people that are here," said Holton.
[/i]

[txinvestigator]

The City Council of Greenleaf, Idaho, passed an ordinance in November to require nearly all residents to keep a gun at home in case the town becomes overrun by people relocating after Gulf Coast storms.

I am all for people exercising their 2nd ammendment right; however, that statement sounds goofy to me.

[seamusTX]

Yeah, how many thugs can make it 2,000 miles to Idaho?

They have more to worry about with refugees from West Coast earthquakes and volcanos.

- Jim

[KBCraig]

They have more to worry about with refugees from West Coast earthquakes and volcanos.

Thugs is thugs. Oh, excuse me, "geographically displaced persons from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds".

[Roger Howard]

, "geographically displaced persons from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds".

[cloudcroft]

seamusTX:

"Yeah, how many thugs can make it 2,000 miles to Idaho?"


Where have you been?

FEMA/Taxpayers pay to ship the bums out. Lots are still where they were sent to...and continuing their criminal activities/spreading the cancer or waiting to get a FEMA paid ticket back to the holes they came from.

Like all those POS people sent to Houston for example. Not "2000 miles away" but the point is, the "refugees" probably didn't pay jack...they got handouts or ripped-off FEMA vouchers.

We even have them here in El Paso, that's pretty far away from NO, and I suspect there are some in other states more distant.

The point is, I don't expect ANY state/city in the country is exempt from getting refugees.

-- John D.

[Liberty]

We even have them here in El Paso, that's pretty far away from NO, and I suspect there are some in other states more distant.


-- John D.

Some are hard working people who have been forced by events beyond their control to rebuild their lives from scratch.

There but for the grace of God go I.

Yes, there are some bad apples in the bunch. Yes, some people took advantage of the government when they were hastily throwing around money. But these people aren't all gangbangers, and welfare queens. Some didn't even live in New Orleans. and most aren't POS

I pray that if the big one comes here and I lose every thing I've worked and my job has been washed away, that I might be shown a little kindness and opportunity.

I just came back from Biloxi last week, Its inspiring to see how these people have rebuilt, and they have the spirit of true warriors. Its hard to believe that a year ago the folks I met had no homes, no jobs ... just their faith and their family.

I won't turn my back on folks if this happens again, and I hope my town. and government won't either. I pray that if I ever find myself in the same situatation that I will find someplace that will welcome me and my family and not treat me like I'm a POS just because my life just got turned upside down.

[stevie_d_64]

, "geographically displaced persons from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds".

Almost spilt mah potato(e) soup on this one!

BTW, how dare someone tell me that I have to have a gun in my house!

I have plenty to begin with!

Someone pass me the butter!

[tallmike]

[quote="stevie_d_64BTW, how dare someone tell me that I have to have a gun in my house![/quote]
Agreed. I do not think the government should get involved in gun control on either side.

Owning a gun is a personal decision lets keep it that way.

[txinvestigator]

seamusTX:

"Yeah, how many thugs can make it 2,000 miles to Idaho?"


Where have you been?

FEMA/Taxpayers pay to ship the bums out. Lots are still where they were sent to...and continuing their criminal activities/spreading the cancer or waiting to get a FEMA paid ticket back to the holes they came from.

Like all those POS people sent to Houston for example. Not "2000 miles away" but the point is, the "refugees" probably didn't pay jack...they got handouts or ripped-off FEMA vouchers.

We even have them here in El Paso, that's pretty far away from NO, and I suspect there are some in other states more distant.

The point is, I don't expect ANY state/city in the country is exempt from getting refugees.

-- John D.

Is it ALL of the people from NOLA that are "bums, POS, cancer and spreading criminal activity" Or just certain ones? How can I tell?

[cyphur]

Its pretty easy to tell which ones are the POS's.

They're usually the ones murdering, stealing, assaulting, and defrauding.


Sometimes the cover of a book tells no lies, but its best to check the inside jacket just to be sure......

[casselthief]

see, man, this is the defensiveness I was talking about!

anyway, we have a few refugees here, in my apt complex.
POS does not begin to describe the few I've had interactions.

however, I saw a lady the other night with a Saints jersey on (good game, btw), and she was a fine, upstanding individual.

a group will always be defined by it's worst members.
it's like the weakest link in the chain, thing.

everyone acting like they are the most idealist person ever is funny to me.
I'm not saying we should classify everyone from there as that.
but

there are a bunch of 'em....

[HankB]

Is it ALL of the people from NOLA that are "bums, POS, cancer and spreading criminal activity" Or just certain ones? How can I tell?

It's the ones who increased Houston's murder rate by 20%. It's the (hopefully) former NOLA PD officers who abandoned their posts and engaged in some looting themselves. And of course, it's Ray "Chocolate" Nagin himself, and the NOLA people who re-elected him . . . though fortunately, those NOLA voters are back in their place.

[stevie_d_64]

I met a young lady yesterday evening who doesn't fit any kind of mold...

She actually grew up here in Houston and recently moved to N.O. for a job...She was back for the holidays, and said that N.O. has really come around since the "inclement weather"...

I figure as long as the French Quarter is up and running, thats all that matters I suppose...

She said there are part of that city that even the law doesn't hang out in for long, still...

But if anything you have to wonder why we don't hear much about Mississippi refugees anymore...

I mean if the topic has turned to the demographics of who is still feeding off the federal government, and causing problems in their current living arrangements and all that...I too have that concern...

All I have to do is remember all the assistance I recieved (and never asked for) qand how long it took for us to get back on our feet, in decent living conditions after Tropical Storm Allison in June 2001...

We got a big 'ole goose-egg...And we we're ok with that, because we spent our own money and effort to repair our almost destroyed home in a couple of weeks...

This has been going on for way over a year...

We can be very empathetic to their plight, but we are not sympathetic to how long it has taken, and still gong on, the plucking of assistance from our government for extensions to paying rent and other services, when they have had more than enough time to get back up and running...

The moral of this story is when you have lost everything, and have only your family left to go on in life, it really doesn't take much to get back up and functional...

Unless you just don't want to, or never did in the first place...

Thats whats creating this attitude in places where these folks are displaced to...

I'm kinda torn between compassion, and a desire for them to get the heck out of that rut and get on with their lives...

[Liberty]

But if anything you have to wonder why we don't hear much about Mississippi refugees anymore...

Some have resettled away far away, some are living with family nearby. Others still in FEMA camps attempting to rebuild their homes. Many are back in their old homes. Rebuilding is slow, Insurance money isn't always so quick, and construction labor is in short supply. All that being said, the clean up was remarkably fast, and the rebuilding is going on at a steady speed.
what amazes me about these people are their spirit. They love their hometowns and are determined. I've made about 5 trips there since around August, and found that just about everyone is positive about the rebuilding and their future. Every trip I've made there I've seen more progress that they've made in the rebuilding process. They still have a long way to go, they will get there.