St. Bernard dogs not welcome in St. Bernard Parish?

St. Bernard residents told to leave, or else:

"... the rousting of residents was left to deputies from neighboring parishes, and law enforcement members from as far away as Oklahoma City.

The forced eviction of stubborn occupants of this parish, the first community downriver from New Orleans, is more aggressive than similar efforts in the city. Though New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said late Tuesday that he was ordering troops and police to force residents to leave, National Guard officials said they didn't take orders from the mayor. And they plan to continue providing food and water to people found in their homes.

Even the city police superintendent equivocated, saying so many still need to be rescued and evacuated that officials don't have time to drag people into boats or armored troop carriers.

Though state law gives officials the right to 'compel the evacuation' of cities and parishes, police said they realized it would be a public relations disaster to march people from their homes at gunpoint. Still, a National Guard official said they would help New Orleans police if they decided to take on the stubbornest of the survivors.

Despite such political wrangling in the city, cops in St. Bernard Parish made it clear Wednesday that they weren't interested in taking no for an answer. Nor were they taking dogs they deemed too big or dangerous."

In Iran a few years ago, some of the mullahs launched a campaign against dogs starting with short-legged dogs. Now St. Bernard Parish is reversing priorities by shooting the long-legged dogs first and letting folks keep the short-legged ones for now. Isn't it ironic that a parish which shares the name of one of the largest and sweetest breeds of dog should be the place where shooting big dogs in the presence of their unwilling owners is now official policy.

I am reminded of a story from Nazi Germany that elite military trainees had their loyalty tested at graduation by each being ordered to strangle a dog he had hand-raised from a pup during training. A man who could do that to a dog that loved him was a good prospect for killing people for no better reason than he was ordered to do so.

I hope those who lose their dogs for the convenience of police in St. Bernard Parish will sue for the needless loss of their property.