The NRA might be right. The Second Amendment states: "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Those words have rarely had the real-world vitality that was witnessed in the wake of Katrina.

During the best of times, some of our neighbors do not wish us the best; during a catastrophe, the fight for survival results in an epidemic of desperation, greed and panic. Whatever your political philosophy, protecting your family must be the first priority; and arming yourself -- when government can no longer protect you and yours -- now makes sense.