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While there were many brave acts of kindness that we witnessed in the inferno of Los Angeles, the darker side of human nature was also brought to light as incidents of looting increased. Unfortunately, California’s deeply anti-gun climate leaves homeowners with few options for self-defense.
Police have already charged more than 20 looters. One unscrupulous duo even dressed up as firefighters to rescue the valuables of victims whose homes had been abandoned or destroyed.
Looters posing as fire and public works workers loot abandoned homes in LA
Clearly, high winds are still raging around Tinseltown, stretching all resources, including the police, to breaking point, providing a rich environment for criminal targets for kind-hearted thieves.
One thing Los Angeles thugs can count on is that if they encounter a homeowner while looting, there’s little chance that person will turn a gun on them.
A firefighter jumps over a fence while fighting the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. (Ethan Swope/Associated Press)
In the free state of Florida, where the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects gun rights, is respected rather than vilified, potential looters, such as after a hurricane, face the death penalty for stealing from the wrong house. I know it could happen.
They know because Gov. Ron DeSantis told them so after Hurricane Milton damaged thousands of homes last year.
“If you go into someone’s home after a storm, expect to be able to commit a crime. You’re going to get into some really serious trouble,” DeSantis said. “Frankly, the Second Amendment “In the states, you never know what’s on the other side of that door,” he promised, adding.
Listen, listen.
There are actually two situations in which the Golden State’s strict anti-gun laws endanger unarmed Los Angeles residents. The first is that individuals are unable to protect themselves and their property, but the second, and perhaps even worse, is that criminals are well aware of this .
When we think about why we have the Second Amendment, it is often pointed out that it is for self-defense and to check the power of government. But in California, we see a third reason for exactly this kind of emergency.
Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd is warning against looters attempting to take advantage of areas affected by Hurricane Milton. (Fox News Digital)
Angelenos don’t need guns to overthrow the government, but they do need guns to hold down their fortress, or home, so to speak, while the government devotes all its resources to disaster relief.
In fact, when you look at gun ownership rates by state, rural states like Montana have the highest number of guns per capita. This is precisely because in cities, government protection in the form of police is always minutes away, whereas in rural areas this is often not the case.
This is exactly where Los Angeles residents find themselves today. City and state governments are overwhelmed and people need to protect themselves, but short-sighted anti-gun policies are preventing them from doing so.
This is why we’re seeing reports that some wealthy people in Los Angeles are paying private security to protect their homes. That’s great if you’re a billionaire, but if you’re not, you’re even more vulnerable.
Frankly, in many cases, a few armed men openly patrolling a neighborhood is enough to deter looters from rolling the dice with their lives.
But California’s progressive leadership, which provides armed protection at taxpayer expense, will not allow the average Joe to protect his family with his own gun.
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Progressive gun policies like California’s, like many other progressive policies, aim to make citizens weaker, more vulnerable, and more dependent on the state. It’s on display openly and clearly in LA today.
I hope that once this emergency passes, Californians will realize that gun rights really matter and demand that they be restored. In the meantime, thousands of people are completely helpless.
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Los Angeles District Attorney Nate Hochman was elected on a tough-on-crime stance. This is his first chance. If the city does not allow its citizens to protect themselves, the fines for looting must be steep, including several years in prison.
But let’s be honest: it is not, and never will be, an adequate replacement for an armed public. That’s exactly what the Founding Fathers understood when they ordained the God-given right to own guns.
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