by Paul Jacob

The right to keep and bear arms is one of the least respected rights in America. It's in the Constitution, but so many people fear non-governmental people with guns that the freedom to defend yourself with a gun is restricted in every state of the union.

Severely in most.

The anti-gun mentality reared its ugly head during the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans. A number of criminals took the occasion to brandish and use firearms -- though the amount of those misuses was over-reported, as rumors flew faster than facts.

The reaction of government? Over-reaction. New Orleans's deputy sheriff was quoted as saying, "No one will be able to be armed. We are going to take all the weapons." And that's what the government military presence did in the soaked streets of New Orleans. Troops went door to door, confiscating guns. From everyone, not just a criminal few.

Thankfully, America's oldest civil liberties defense organization, the National Rifle Organization, went to court. On September 23, the United States Court for the Eastern District in Louisiana issued a restraining order barring further gun confiscations from peaceful citizens in New Orleans.

Government over-reach, then, thankfully, judicial restraint. Much was lost in the flood, but luckily not everything. A judge was still able to find a copy of the Constitution and stick to it.

Want to avoid going to court just to live free? Maybe you should send a copy of that same Constitution to your local, state and federal officials. With underlined passages.

This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.

Common Sense is published by Americans for Limited Government. Their website can be visited at www.limitedgov.org.