For Immediate Release Monday, September 1, 2008
‘The thoughts and prayers of all Americans are with those suffering through Hurricane Gustav,’ says Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for president. ‘This is time for Americans to set aside partisan differences and come together to help meet the needs of those in the disaster zone.”
‘Although many people typically look to government for the answer at a time like this, the responsibility to prepare for disaster and to help those who lose their homes and jobs first lies with us, the American people,” explains Barr. “Indeed, this was the lesson of Hurricane Katrina. The government — city, state, and federal — performed badly while Americans across the nation responded by donating money and supplies, and by rushing to New Orleans to help. Volunteers came afterwards to help clean up the resulting mess. As Hurricane Gustav approached, companies like Wal-Mart and Home Depot planned for the storm, preparing to act as centers for delivering supplies and equipment to entire communities in need.”
‘Of course, we should insist that government perform competently, and public safety is perhaps the government’s most basic responsibility,’ notes Barr. “However, it must do so within the bounds of the law and the Constitution. This means, for example, that the government – whether local, state or federal – cannot deny law-abiding citizens the right to possess firearms with which to defend themselves, their families, their homes and their businesses, as Mayor Nagin and others attempted to do in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.”
“At least some lessons have been learned from Hurricane Katrina,” notes Barr. “Jason Johnson, head of emergency management at Wal-Mart, says that ‘the biggest change in the last three years is government opening its doors to the private sector in general, the recognition that we are part of the collective solution.’ This is a good start, but it is a lesson that should be learned throughout government, and not just at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”
‘With Hurricane Gustav upon us, Americans should do what they have done so very well since the founding of this wonderful country: Work together to help those in need around them,” says Barr. “The greatness of this nation has always been reflected by the willingness and ability of the American people to rise and meet serious challenges like at the present.”
Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.
The Libertarian Party is America’s third largest political party, founded in 1971 as an alternative to the two main political parties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party by visiting www.LP.org . The Libertarian Party proudly stands for smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom.
