Confederate Monument Removers May Have Broken Louisiana Law
This isn't about whether the monuments should stay or go. I know that's a hot topic that you've probably already made up your mind about. This is more about the irony of the way the statue of General P.G.T. Beauregard was removed from its place in New Orleans.
According to a story published by the Louisiana Radio Network, the statue was removed by a "masked crew". I do understand why concealing identities would have been considered a good business move. After all, a private business shouldn't be penalized for doing a job they were hired to do. If they were government workers then this brings up a whole new issue.
Louisiana has laws against wearing masks in public.
Masks or hoods, wearing in public places prohibited; penalty; exceptions; permit to conduct Mardi Gras festivities, how obtained; wearing of hoods, masks, or disguises or giving of candy or other gifts by sex offenders
There is more to the statute but I swear I read it twice and didn't see anything about an exception for monument removal. They didn't move Mardi Gras or Halloween to May did they?
How come these workers were not arrested by the onsite police officers? Was there an exception created by the all powerful Mitch Landrieu that I wasn't aware of?
Whoever violates this Section shall be imprisoned for not less than six months nor more than three years.
Weren't members of law enforcement on site during this obvious violation of a Louisiana code that is written into the law of the land?
I guess my point is this, if you're going to do things based on technicalities then you should make sure your execution of those things doesn't violate other technicalities. That's how you create hypocrisy. It's one of our largest cash crops in the manure filled fields of Louisiana politics and law.
Clarification: I am not a learned legal scholar. I am a citizen of Louisiana. Simply asking a question. My suppositions are based on information that has been made available to me as a citizen of this state.