Date: 2005-09-02
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. we have all seen a tragedy of tragedies this past week. We are here as representatives of the American people to attempt to try and ensure that the proper governmental response is possible. and it is not a time for recrimination or fingerpointing. As a matter of fact. I would like to draw the attention to the superb job that has been done by the Coast Guard. I have not heard one suggestion of criticism of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard. which has in our Nations history a unique status of being both a civilian operation and a military operation. often is left in the shadows as we look to the other military establishments in this country. But the remarkable job done by the Coast Guard. particularly the work done by the helicopter pilots and those who are working with the pilots to rescue hundreds and literally thousands of people in the affected area. is something of which we should be proud. something of which we should be joyous. and it suggests to me that we should take another look at the way in which we have taken for granted the tremendous efforts made by the Coast Guard. As we look forward in analyzing what occurred and what is occurring now. we ensure that as we make plans for the future. we equip the Coast Guard with everything that the Coast Guard needs to be able to carry out its functions. the traditional function which we have seen over the past week. and the new responsibility we have given them in the war on terrorism. But. Mr. Speaker. I would be remiss as someone who spent 8 years as the chief law enforcement officer of the State of California if I did not remark on what I observed with the breakdown in order that we saw in the city of New Orleans. Quite simply. when we have a situation in which law enforcement stands by and allows looting to take place with the excuse that it is only for food and water. one should understand that if we say looting is okay for food and water. we will ensure that only the strong get the food and the water and the weak will not. It was not the weak that were breaking into those places and taking that home. it was. rather. those who were healthy and those who were able to go in and do that. and I doubt that they were running back to assist those who were far less fortunate. When you suggest that that breakdown in order is allowable. what you do is suggest to the criminal community that they can do more. and we saw the spiraling from food and water to clothes. to appliances. and finally to guns and ammunition. and we saw terrible tragedy that ensued that was manmade. not as the result of the terrible forces of the hurricane and the terrible forces of the flooding that took place thereafter. but rather those who would take advantage of that tragedy for their own purposes. My only suggestion. Mr. Speaker. is that it ought to be a lesson for all of us. all of us. that when we are confronted with tragedies of this sort. whether they are manmade or natural. we must understand the importance of order being maintained. While some may believe it is in a sense of generosity or a sense of empathy to say that looting is okay for selected purposes. we should understand that ultimately it does the greatest damage to those who need our help the most. the least among us. the weakest among us. those who cannot fend for themselves. So as we sort things out and as we in this Congress look for those things that are necessary for the Federal Government to do related to the State and local governments. we should understand that we need to have order in the midst of chaos to the extent we can so that we can ensure that our efforts are made to protect those who are least able to protect themselves. It is a terrible lesson that we had to learn once again. but it is a lesson that we ought to embrace and a lesson that we ought to utilize to assist us in any future problem. We have many things to look at over the next few weeks as we continue in response to this terrible tragedy. but I would hope that we would understand that those who are the least among us. those who are the weakest among us. need the support from the strongest. and that in very real terms necessitates every effort to protect order.