What Happens When Law Enforcement And Government Ignore Constitutional Protections

This case summarizes events preceding the Hurricane Katrina, which was one of the worst natural catastrophes in the modern history of the USA. It raises questions about the lack of reasonable prevention and preparation actions due to flimsy structure and management of the responsible organizations and persons, invalidity and inconsistence of their actions and incapability of making the decisions in a timely manner. As a result of the unstructured and incoherent activities, we could observe several ineffective and costly attempts to mitigate floods and hurricanes. In the beginning the local officials, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and “White Houses past and present always seem penny-wise and pound-foolish” because of the chain of the wrong

Within the criminal justice system, officials abuse their power. The officials of the justice system have a duty to protect and perform their duties with unbiased decision making. The abuse of power jeopardizes people’s lives who are not able to sustain oneself and their families. Some people do not understand that poorer people find themselves in jail more and once a person is released, that person is subjected to return to jail for the amount of money owed to the state. There are many obstacles for the poor, especially those of color. People of color are treated unfairly in the justice system, from the arrest, the sentencing, and the release. The criminal justice system is supposed to be just but that is not the case. The criminal justice system allows for the police, public defenders, and judges to bend the laws and not be punished for their actions or that apologizes can fix the wrong that has been done. This paper will discuss the abuse of power from the justice system and the solutions to rectify the damages.

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. The results were catastrophic. Katrina and storm-related flooding took more than 1,800 lives and caused an estimated $81 billion in damages. In the storm’s aftermath, there was widespread debate over government response to the disaster. I believe that the bulk of the responsibility lay with the state and local governments. They should have been better prepared ahead of time and had more comprehensive plans in place to minimize danger to citizens. The national government has traditionally only sent its military into a state at the request of that state’s governor. The governors of Louisiana and Mississippi did not immediately request that action (Fraga, L.

Over the years of Hurricane Katrina, FEMA faced many criticisms. Not only FEMA, but “every level of government was roundly criticized”( Howellq ). Back in 9/11, They acted fast and accordingly to the disaster. During hurricane Katrina, they were slow and had false promises that the locals of New Orleans believed ( Maestri, “The Storm”, PBS ). Many people asked FEMA for resources and help, but that turned down because they did not “ask the right way” ( Hale “The Storm”, PBS). During an interview with one of FEMA’s secretaries, “Michael Brown”, had claimed that FEMA could not help Louisiana because they didn’t tell them what they

Few in this country would argue with the fact that the United States criminal justice system possesses discrepancies which adversely affect Blacks in this country. Numerous studies and articles have been composed on the many facets in which discrimination, or at least disparity, is obvious. Even whites are forced to admit that statistics indicate that the Black community is disproportionately affected by the American legal system. Controversy arises when the issue of possible causes of, and also solutions to, these variations are discussed. It’s not just black versus white, it is white versus white, and white versus oriental, whatever the case may be, and it is not justice. If we see patterns then the judges should have the authority to say something. Jury nullifications cannot be overturned regardless of the cause. Exclusionary rule, according to CULS (2010) – Prevents the government from using most evidence gathered in violation of U.S. Constitution; like unreasonable search and seizure (Fourth Amendment).

In the time of Katrina, this idea made federal government believed that their nonintervention was justified, causing the misunderstanding between governments at all level and the failure of efficient disaster aid. However, considering the purpose of the Constitution, this is a misinterpretation of the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment is not a reason for federal government to refuse offer common Defence and welfare to each states. The Bill of Right that contains Tenth Amendment serves to limit the abusive power of the federal government. It creates a Constitutional system includes big and small government with balanced power and the right to check each other. This idea does not conflict with the federal government’s original intentions as how the preamble and Article. I. Section. 8 declares. In fact, the Tenth Amendment indicates the federal government assistance to the state and local government’s work. Before and after the disaster, the federal government should provide help to coordination with states

. . other agencies . . . [that] were involved” (307), especially paranoia regarding Islamist terrorists from the 9/11 attack, resulted in the systematic search to incarcerate Muslims like Zeitoun. As a result, when Zeitoun is about to enter Camp Greyhound and questions a passing soldier why he and his friends have been arrested, the soldier replies, “‘You guys are Al Qaeda’” (212), concurring with the MSSTs’ purpose of apprehending potential members of major terrorist groups. Obviously, this is not a rational reason for an arrest, as the men have done nothing illegal. Eggers uses this appeal to authority (through the quote of a soldier actively participating in the situation) to underline just how much more of a role race and religion play in Hurricane Katrina’s law enforcement than actual criminal behavior. Zeitoun’s only “crime” is being Arab and believing in Allah in a time when Islamophobia is rampant, reasons that do not justify the mistreatment he suffers during the next couple of weeks as a supposed “terrorist.” Therefore, through the inclusion of credible evidence and quotes, Eggers successfully harnesses logos to affirm the unmerited racial and religious injustices that Zeitoun faces during and after his arrest, simply because he is a Middle Eastern, Muslim man.

Zeitoun’s story includes many positive experiences in the aftermath of Katrina; however, his nightmare begins when Nasser, Zeitoun’s friend, calls him to the door, where law enforcement takes him into custody. “’Give me your ID,’ one man said to Zeitoun. Zeitoun complied. The man took the ID and gave it back to Zeitoun without looking at it. ‘Get in the boat,’ he said. ‘You didn’t look at it,’ Zeitoun protested” (Eggers, 206). The men detain Zeitoun without explaining

The seriousness of Katrina's loss made it clear that local and state resources were overcome, leaving only federal services as capable responders (DW, 2009). There were problems with evacuation and housing. The quantity of individuals in need of shelter was overpowering. Due to the flooding, thousands of Louisiana citizens were made homeless (DW, 2009). There were concerns of mismanagement. There are ongoing fears over the mismanagement and lack of leadership in the assistance hard work in response to the storm and its outcome, and the hindered response to the flooding of New Orleans, and the following state of disorder (DW, 2009). The government was blamed for the death and disorder due to their slow response. There were a communication breakdown

Preventing Delays as seen in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina through the Education of State and Federal Officials on Laws and

Even though it is the responsibility of the federal and state governments to aid citizens during times of disaster, the people devastated by Hurricane Katrina were not effectively facilitated as according to their rights as citizens of the United States. The government’s failures to deliver assistance to citizens stem from inadequate protection systems in place before the storm even struck. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security were the two largest incumbents in the wake of the storm. The failure of these agencies rests on the shoulders of those chosen to head the agency. These directors, appointed by then president George W. Bush, were not capable of leading large government agencies through a

In a state of national emergency, the United States government is expected to be efficient and organized. When Hurricane Katrina struck on August 25th, 2005, the United States government was not readily prepared for such an immense disaster. The mismanagement of relief efforts by the U.S. government led to a lack of adequate assistance to U.S. victims along with a prolonged restoration period for those in need. Had the government accepted more foreign aid and further prepared for the storm, hurricane Katrina may not have proved such a disaster in our nation’s history. This essay will explain how foreign aid was integrated into the relief effort. Additionally, this essay will explore the government’s refusal of aid from various countries

Even before the disaster brought on by Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Police Department had serious organizational and reporting issues. According to the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (2011), several patterns were clearly discoverable in the organization, including the excessive use of force, under-reporting of internal issues, discriminatory policing, and the number of misconduct complaints were high. The issues that the Police Force faced for long years before 2005 were, however, only revealed after the flood receded, and an investigation into the internal affairs of the organization started. The below research will attempt to reveal

In reviewing all the issues raised in Modules 1-5 I actually found it a little difficult to directly relate any of them to my present occupation. As I mentioned in my introduction I am currently employed as a law enforcement officer. When we discuss police powers and the Constitution directly in relation to law enforcement the mind is naturally drawn to the amendments. I most certainly don’t stop to consider the implications of judicial qualifications and the impact of our government structure on our day to day life or my job. With this in mind I chose the three following issues to relate to my occupation: extradition, the privileges and immunities clause, and the full faith and credit clause all of which are found under Article IV. These issues have reaching effects on my career field and how officers of the law might be required to enforce the law.

Hurricane Katrina proved to be one of the most catastrophic and costly natural disasters to affect the United States. Severe winds, heavy rains, and a 27-foot storm surge devastated the Gulf Coast states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. In addition, the ferocity of the storm caused the failure of the New Orleans levee system resulting in massive flooding. The loss to the nation was extraordinary. The total expense from infrastructure damage, destroyed personal properties, and recovery efforts reached $108 billion dollars. The damage and flooding displaced over 700,000 people, and worse, over 1200 people lost their lives (Blake, Landsea, & Gibney, 2011). Widespread criticisms regarding insufficient response management, confusion in command and control, and the breakdown in communications raised awareness that the current National Response Plan was deficient. Within days, President George W. Bush ordered a complete review of the plan to improve ineffective systems and ultimately better prepared for future catastrophes. While disaster response plans and procedures were in place, Hurricane Katrina uncovered organizational failures leading to an improved National Preparedness Doctrine.