Posted on 08/31/2005 5:40:37 AM PDT by Proud_USA_Republican
NEW ORLEANS — With much of the city flooded by Hurricane Katrina, looters floated garbage cans filled with clothing and jewelry down the street in a dash to grab what they could. In some cases, looting on Tuesday took place in full view of police and National Guard troops. At a Walgreen's drug store in the French Quarter (search), people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers. When police finally showed up, a young boy stood in the door screaming, "86! 86!" — the radio code for police — and the crowd scattered. Denise Bollinger, a tourist from Philadelphia, stood outside and snapped pictures in amazement. "It's downtown Baghdad," the housewife said. "It's insane. I've wanted to come here for 10 years. I thought this was a sophisticated city. I guess not." Around the corner on Canal Street, the main thoroughfare in the central business district, people sloshed headlong through hip-deep water as looters ripped open the steel gates on the front of several clothing and jewelry stores. One man, who had about 10 pairs of jeans draped over his left arm, was asked if he was salvaging things from his store. "No," the man shouted, "that's EVERYBODY'S store." Looters filled industrial-sized garbage cans with clothing and jewelry and floated them down the street on bits of plywood and insulation as National Guard (search) lumbered by. Mike Franklin stood on the trolley tracks and watched the spectacle unfold. "To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society," he said. The rest of the story is at the link.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The cops will let them loot. However if a citizen uses an illegel firearm to defend his property, he will most likely be prosecuted.
For those of you who would blanket condemn looters in New Orleans right now - you have no heart.
I was listening to evacuees here in Lafayette, Louisiana on the radio this morning. These people for whatever reason tried to ride out this storm. Many did it because they were poor people that didn't have the means to get in a car and drive away. These people woke up with the choice. Loot some food and clean water or maybe die. Or let me rephrase that - loot some food for your kids or die. We aren't talking about people running into the jewelry store and pocketing stones. We are talking about people that are rummaging through a grocery store. The store will be fully compensated by insurance. Also, in these instances, the food is going to probably be thrown out when the store is renovated. This isn't clean food to begin with now.
The people on the radio this morning have been smacked in the face with survival. The aren't thinking and talking clearly to begin with. All they want to do first is feed their kids. You aren't hearing about looting in areas other than pure survival.
I can't imagine condemning these people. To be honest, if I saw a grocery store that was ripped open in a storm and thought that this might be my only chance at food for my kids to survive. I don't know what I would do. These people can't just run to Wal-Mart and get something for themselves. The "legitimate" means to acquire food don't exist right now. Those places are rubble. So where can these people go.
It's too late to say - well you had it coming for staying. How heartless is that. Until we can get relief food into these people - what other choice is there but to allow the looting of food? Sure we could just say let them die. That's real nice. Find a better option for these people and I'll respect your opinion. Right now attitudes that just pass blanket condemnation are way too callous.
I'd like nothing more than to hear stories of people who died among stacks of sneakers and electronics for want of food, or drowned struggling with a big-screen TV. They were too ignorant to heed warnings to get out, too stupid to recognize right from wrong, and deserving of "lead poisoning" courtesy of law enforcement.
I saw that but was then shocked to see a POLICEWOMAN joining the looters. Hope her badge number was in full view!
Foxnews later aired a man who tried to excuse the looting saying people are so confused and frightened and so hungry. Guess he didn't see clothing, jewelery and televisions being carted away. Babbled something about why the President wasn't helping before ending the interview by explaining that the woman raped last night was the result of what happens to people when a hurricane hits (paraphrasing).
Let me supplement my comments with a clarification... looting of food and water and basic essentials, I understand. Anything else and they should be shot dead.
They will learn that you cannot eat a TV or jewelery.
Yes we are.
I am not going to donate to them.....unless it is segregrated...meaning my money goes to the people who did not loot...it sickens me that they take this disaster and steal...sick...sick..sick
shops will have higher insurance costs...there will be fewer shops...goods will be more expensive..and they will pay for their looting...maybe they will get lucky and get some disease....man this really makes me mad...lets move our help to Mississippi
There is a large difference in looting for survival and looting for greed! Food vs. Nike shoes and Plasma TV's. Can you tell the difference? I am not condoning either. They are both taking what is not yours. That is stealing in any book!
Would you condemn a mother who prostitutes herself to feed her children?
"For those of you who will post in this thread defending looting."
Sorry, I'm as conservative as most of the folks around here, but if my family's food is gone, my baby needs formula or diapers, and I have no place to go, I'd take the stuff, too. There should have been a mandatory evacuation of the city with NG help on Saturday, but the amazing politics of this place apparently prevented that. So now what - let them eat alligator?
ex pat guy..can you say to "dumb" to leave..these people on TV are worried about feeding their kids....they are smiling as they are stealing...and the food and water...not in the pictures I have seen...please call a spade a spade...they are thieves...plain and simple...and no the insurance company will never pay enough to rebuild everything...and by the way ...who is the insurance company..and who pays them....the good news is that these animals probably don't have insurance s they will no get to rebuild......oh stupid me....that is right...I forgot...the government will bail them out...and even cover the new TV they just stole
In a time of crisis civilized people are tested. Do they remain civilized or do they not? These people have chosen to break the law. They have chosen to STEAL. That is what it is. There is no gray area here. You are right or you are wrong. They are WRONG. There are peole having their houses broken into. Their possessions stolen.
The people who actually listened to evacuation warnings are being preyed upon by others who were chose not to heed the warnings. Don't give me this 'cry me a river" BS.
I don't care how "poor" these people are. The city, state, and federal governments offered these people places to go and they chose not to. Go ahead, call me "heartless". I don't care frankly. I feel more compassion for the people that have lost so much, only to lose the rest to lawbreakers and riff-raff.
Are we?
...people sloshed headlong through hip-deep water as looters ripped open the steel gates on the front of several clothing and jewelry stores. One man, who had about 10 pairs of jeans draped over his left arm, was asked if he was salvaging things from his store. "No," the man shouted, "that's EVERYBODY'S store."
I have children and I would not steal to feed them.
You're completely full of it! These people have food and water being provided to them by the authorities. Think the national Guard troops are starving and thirsty? NO! I guess they're going to give their kids blue jeans and jewelry to eat????
Someone commented about the french quarter that most cities bulldoze down their ghetos in an effort for urban renewal. N.O. has chosen to turn thiers into a tourist trap. What's going on is pretty much what you gotta expect....
You saw the thieves, and that they are. I saw them, too, but I also saw women with baby formula (my basic faith in human nature has to believe that it WAS for a baby) & toilet paper.
I repeat: there should have been a MANDATORY evacuation on Sat., moving everyone who had no means to leave to the Superdome where they could be fed and kept off the streets.
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