Comments on: Crime-Riddled Town Takes Debatable Action

Are Small Town's Safety Measures, Including A 24-Hour Curfew, Constitutional?

[lol620]

I lived in West Helena for 3 years and spent mostly every summer there. My family still lives just on the outskirts. To those of you that think its not okay to be told you can''t leave your house after a certain hour, believe me, there''s nothing to do in this town late at night that would justify going out after the set curfew time. And you don''t know the half of all the bad things that go on in this town. Not only are people being shot and killed but they are also being raped, robbed, etc. Don''t assume you know the whole story by simply reading an article. This stuff has been going on there for many years. It''s about time someone decided to do something about it. If national attention is what it takes to fix the problem then so be it. It''s time for a change...

[dkhorse1]

Rita Sklar, the executive director of the Arkansas ACLU.
"I know they have problems there, and I''m very sympathetic but there are cities all over the country where there are hundreds of deaths and hundreds of violent crimes and they don''t do this," Sklar said. "They do good policing."

Hundreds of deaths and hundreds of violent crimes in other cities and she claims they do good policing without curfews? ACLU logic and wisdom at its finest. I%u2019ll bet she would never walk around there at night without a police presence.

[mommakat64]

Sorry about the doubles....

[Renegade.Rivers]

Yes, just give up your rights in the name of safety. Give up your rights to quell the fear. What next will you be willing to give your rights up for?

From the research I have done, this is not a failure of the citizens, it is a failure of the authorities, Unfortunately, the citizens are the one who have to suffer, and give up their rights. What if ever police force lets the crime level rise in more cities to such a proportion that this same scene is replayed over and over? Are you going to hunker down in your homes in fear, and allow the police, who in reality have not done their jobs, run ramshod over you and the other citizens, in the name of safety?

This is plain and simple a case where because the police failed to perform their jobs as is expected, and proper, the citizens pay with their loss of rights. Seems to me that the logical solution would have been to fire the police chief, and get a chief who could handle the situation, without having to take every citizens rights.

Believe me, if the citizens allow this to happen in one place it will happen again and again. We are getting closer and closer to a complete police state, is that what you all really want? The time is near where you must decide if a little safety more important than freedom. You better think about what you are getting, because it maybe a lot more than what you are bargaining for.

I live in Little Rock and have been to Helena-West Helena several times. My wife was offered a job in the city and we turned it down partially on account of the crime rate. Honestly, I''m not sure exactly how I would feel living in this town and being under this kind of curfew. Yes, it does infringe on the rights of the general citizenry. However, I think that if you are not doing something that you''re not supposed to be doing, the only thing it will do is inconvenience you for a little while. I would compare it to a permanent sobriety checkpoint. If you are doing something wrong and you know that this particular area is more heavily policed, then you avoid it. I think that''s what they are trying to do. So, I guess I''m for it. The crime rate their is awful!

[mommakat64]

When did victims lose THEIR rights? Being a prisoner in your own home is unconscionable, cruel and inhumane. Chicago''s projects welcomed the FBI and Chicago Police when they did a crackdown...they were da^ned sick and tired of having their children shot and killed while just trying to go to school...or bullets penetrating the walls of their apartments. And don''t give me "race" cr^p"...in most of the "high crime" areas it is black on black...and the victims are tired of it and want it stopped. They want to be safe and free in their neighborhoods.

[mommakat64]

When did victims lose THEIR rights? Being a prisoner in your own home is unconscionable, cruel and inhumane. Chicago''s projects welcomed the FBI and Chicago Police when they did a crackdown...they were da^ned sick and tired of having their children shot and killed while just trying to go to school...or bullets penetrating the walls of their apartments. And don''t give me "race" cr^p"...in most of the "high crime" areas it is black on black...and the victims are tired of it and want it stopped. They want to be safe and free in their neighborhoods.

[bob5ford]

To those who said you''d be "pissed off" if you couldn''t move about because of the curfew, could you move about better dodging the bullets?

[mommakat64]

Invite the "so ultra left that they''re almost Marxists" to pull their weight and get down and dirty for once...not sit in their offices in their clean lawyer suits. They yap like little ankle-nipper dogs..all mouth and noise. And, yes, I know that the ACLU does do some stuff that actually helps the common folk, but, honestly, they usual just stir the pot into a big mess.

A woman that my husband worked with was astounded that my husband could sit on our front porch any time of the day or night, especially early morning, and smoke. She lives in southeast Portland, OR...they can''t even sit on their BACK porch and smoke at ANY time. THAT is being held prisoner in your own home...what about their "constitutional rights? Hmmm?!?

[bob5ford]

Drastic it is but if the majority of the citizens of the town approve then it should be done. No one wants to live in fear and no one should have to. A curfew and checkpoints is better then tanks rolling through the streets. Once the towns are taken back by the good guys the stops will end. Until then, more power to them for having the courage to do it.

[mommakat64]

Invite the "so ultra left that they''re almost Marxists" to pull their weight and get down and dirty for once...not sit in their offices in their clean lawyer suits. They yap like little ankle-nipper dogs..all mouth and noise. And, yes, I know that the ACLU does do some stuff that actually helps the common folk, but, honestly, they usual just stir the pot into a big mess.

A woman that my husband worked with was astounded that my husband could sit on our front porch any time of the day or night, especially early morning, and smoke. She lives in southeast Portland, OR...they can''t even sit on their BACK porch and smoke at ANY time. THAT is being held prisoner in your own home...what about their "constitutional rights? Hmmm?!?

[my2centss]

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin

Never give up your Bill of Rights without a fight.

[demwatcher]

AP - 15AUG - Obama demands that Russia withdraw all troops from Georgia.

In a formal press release, Sen Barrack Obama stated "It is imperative that all Russia military and irregulars withdraw back over the border into South Carolina with utmost haste, or they shall feel MY SQUIRRELLY WRATH!"

[u-r-right]

They should invite the ACLU to come in and police the city to see what it''s like. I''ll bet they''d tame down their whining after the first night.

[medisinman82]

I stand up for law enforcment and the towns mayor. It seems that there are always loop holes for criminals to get away with crime,unfortunately law abiding citizens will suffer for the criminals actions.

[sistatee-2009]

I am for if necessary having to go door to door to check to see if people have guns illegally''

Posted by baicas at 07:41 PM : Aug 15, 2008

Without a warrant? And you''re for law and order?

[mydiatribe]

=="The ACLU says curfews like these are unconstitutional, violating the rights to assemble, due process and protections against unreasonable searches."==

THE SHEER GOOFINESS OF THIS SUBVERSIVE GROUP OF UNETHICAL ATTORNEYS never ceases to amaze me.
The POOR citizens of this town may well be DEAD but Hooray for their civil liberties.

If the ACLU had been around for the 3rd Reich no doubt they would be suing Jews for smudging SS Troopers Bootshine with their faces???

No wonder our world is upsidedown, curfews now take priority over public safety!

CRAZY & EVIL = ACLU!!!
The ACLU doesn''t give a hoot for average law abiding citizens. One of the most anti-American wolves-in- sheep''s-clothing subversive operatives to ever pepetrate its fraud on the American culture.

[patriot12436]

I think if this is mwhat it takes to restore justice to the community and the majority are in approval, then it should be their decision. Ok it is a black community. I am glad to see that at least this community is taking action to address the problems. If i lived there the police would be welcome to come search my house for anything illegal. If this improves life for the honest hardworking people, then i am glad to see they are taking action. It is about time the communities with these problems take their streets back.

[yankeerebel7]

I don''t know. This looks to be a little on the unconstitutional side to me. I know I''d be pissed if this curfew negatively affected my freedom to move about.

[baicas]

I am for if necessary having to go door to door to check to see if people have guns illegally, if they do, all guns need to be confiscated. If the person has the papers and has a valid Firearm''s card, then they are within the law and can keep their arms. It''s those who have these guns illegally who are causing all the violent crimes and deaths. Take their guns and ammo away, lock them up, and the situation will be solved.