Shot police officer in surgery (New Orleans Looter shoots Officer)

NOLA.acom ^ | 8/30/05 | staff

[Cathy]

Why so snippy?

The cop getting shot in the head is also a tragedy.

[TNdandelion]

No. I don't think that I would. If I had evacuated but knew that people had entered my house to grab towels, food, tools, or clothes in order to survive....I would have been thankful that those things were available and that they were able to use them. If they were stealing my personal items that had no significant use for survival....I would be angry.

Maybe you aren't reading the points I stressed about people taking items that they needed to survive until assistance could reach them. That's different than looting, in my book. That's common sense. I can't imagine anyone worried about not being able to make a buck off of diapers or bottled water....IF it was apparent that that none were available.

Of course, that's not entirely the situation taking place in NOLA.

[expatguy]

The difference is if YOU choose to give away items instead of having them taken from you in a time of misforture.

There is no justification is looting, not now or ever. It is worse than stealing in my eyes. It is taking advantage of another's misfortune.

Once you enter the realm of chaos you are tested. You know what you are doing is wrong and then you attempt to justify it. Relativism is the realm between good and evil.

You seem to think that looting food and clothing is okay, well why not loot money and jewelry as well? Something much easier to carry and keep that can be exchanged for food, water and clothing?

[Broker]

Looting is looting. A permissive approach rationalizing motive and need, is an inapproriate judgement call called chaos. Martial laws need to be enforced soon. If not, Americas colon cancer will become a malignant threat to national security.

[Paloma_55]

"Just an observation... 100% of the looters being shown on Fox news right now are black."

I saw various white looters and some of them were females.

I was somewhat reluctant to even state that observation because it would automatically get me branded as a racist, but it was an unfortunate sight.

I did not say that ONLY black people are looters. I just noted that during the 4-5 minutes of video that I had been watching as I was booting my laptop, all of the looters shown were black.

Later, I speculated that there were white looters too, and attempted some humor with the query as to whether they were perhaps busy looting a gun shop?

This is not a racial question, it is cultural.

Often, people assume a racial angle when it is often a cultural one. Some people are raised in a culture where they feel it is OK to take from others as soon as the sun goes down. White, black, that is not the issue.

[expatguy]

Yes we see this gentleman hopelessly trapped in a world of chaos, now entering the realm of relativism. How can we empathize with him in his time of need as he tries to rationalize within his own mind motive and need?

[Broker]

That gentlemen is into attitude adjustment. Can he put his thumb in the dyke now?

[TommyDale]

It is a black neighborhood. What would you expect? There are also pictures of white trash looters, but by posting only black looters you fall into the same category as the racists.

[Ciexyz]

Hey, if the AG of Loozianna says it's OK to loot...who are we to condemn the looters? Hell, I'm not saying another word about it.

[bad company]

It may come as a surprise to you, but a lot of folks can't afford to 'get prepared'

All we're talking about in this case is three days food and water. There is no excuse.

[TNdandelion]

You seem to think that looting food and clothing is okay, well why not loot money and jewelry as well? Something much easier to carry and keep that can be exchanged for food, water and clothing?

If there is no food coming in from the Red Cross or other sources and my choices are let my two children suffer exposure because their clothes have been torn from their bodies in the flood waters and go hungry because they have been without food or water for two days....then throw me in jail for making the decision to grab some water, a slimjim and a tshirt.

Which is worse? Looting a slimjim and some bottled water or letting a toddler and a 7yr old perish from dehydration because of some misguided notion that looting is ALWAYS the wrong choice?

Which would you rather do? Spend time in jail for stealing a precious slimjim or bury your baby?

Ok....now you want to ask me the difference between stealing bottled water and jewelry? Let's just say that if you haven't figured out the right thing to do by this point....it's a lost cause in your case. I just hope you would have the sense to feed YOUR children if you were ever caught in a situation like this. I promise not to judge you too harshly if you do.

[TNdandelion]

There were several people visiting from out of town and from abroad. A guy from Australia said that he found out the day he arrived that the hurricane was headed to NOLA. He had two days to evacuate with no chance of catching a flight out, a bus or a train (all booked). No car, no local friends or family....and unfortunately...he didn't pack 3 days worth of food and water in his carry on.

[Zechariah11]

Why so snippy?

The cop getting shot in the head is also a tragedy.

You're right on both counts. It is so aggravating to witness this unconscionable behavior that sometimes indignation turns to bitterness and gets the best of us. The 90/10 comment was in that vein.