When society breaks down, our civil liberties become endangered. It is a fact that is repeated over and over again in our American history. From the concentration camps of Japanese American citizens during World War II to the illegal wiretapping under the Bush Administration, when we are in crisis, the American government time and time again tramples over our civil liberties. This is the same case in the book Zeitoun.
In Zeitoun, the main character is ripped away from his home and thrown into a make shift prison during Katrina. He was never charged with a crime, never read his rights, and never was presented with any contact to legal representation. These are all legal rights that are granted under the Constitution. The National Guard clearly ignored these rights during Hurricane Katrina. It is scary to think that anyone government agency with a gun can come into your home, and take you away to a prison camp for 40 days in a time of crisis. When reading the section on what happened to Zeitoun on the first day of his stay in the prison camp, it renewed my vigilance to keep a watchful eye on my government. If the National Guard can do that to Zeitoun, think what they can do to you.
On a funnier note, I posted below a a link on a "How to Survive a Breakdown of Social Order" This might be useful when 2012 comes around.
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