"If anything, the current situation in New Orleans makes the case for gun ownership. In the absence of the structure and support provided by society, people revert. What recourse do the physically weak have in a situation like this? How else will they defend themselves?"

Bingo!

The state and federal governements bared their a$$. And proved what many of us have known for a long time. Local, state, and federal authorities can't always be there to protect us, nor should they be exepcted to. How you choose to protect yourself and lvoed ones, is up to you. After all, it's a free country! At least it was when I woke up this morning.

Many thanks to those first drunken, inbread, toothless yahoos who to took up arms and gave this great nation her independence. They might have looked dumb, but they were smart enough to know they needed arms to free themselves.