Posted on 08/31/2005 7:09:41 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel
NEW ORLEANS - At first it just seemed that the Wal-Mart in New Orleans' Lower Garden District was doing a very brisk post-hurricane business yesterday: The parking lot was full, people were leaving with brimming baskets, and city police and firefighters were there as if to oversee it all.
But people weren't going through the front door. They were squeezing between boards meant to protect the now-shattered glass from Hurricane Katrina's winds. One man was packing his van so full of computers, televisions and DVD players that he had trouble closing the rear doors. One woman was carrying three jugs of laundry detergent in a city with no power to run a washer.
As in so many past disasters elsewhere when crisis and chaos have replaced order and normalcy, a beleaguered New Orleans was beset by looters.
The widespread plundering started before Katrina had finished its onslaught Monday. That afternoon, looters broke into an emptied sporting-goods warehouse in Mid-City, a grocery in Treme, and the hardware center Uptown. In one instance, witnesses said, police were called but did nothing until one man shot another.
People said they had heard Wal-Mart had opened its doors to provide supplies for law-enforcement agencies sheltering the 10,000- plus people in the Louisiana Superdome. A Wal-Mart spokeswoman, Sharon Weber, said law enforcement, emergency-management teams, and relief agencies had "unwritten permission" to help themselves to whatever they need from Wal-Mart stores in times of crisis, but that standard procedure was for the police or aid officials to "leave us a list of what they take so they can pay us later."
At the Lower Garden District Wal-Mart, among the items seen being loaded into police cars were dozens of T-shirts, DVDs, and dog food.
But when law-enforcement officials went to get their goods, others - people of all ages and races - followed.
"They just came and no one could stop them," said David Brown, 38, a Port of New Orleans employee.
Brown and a coworker were filling their vehicle with dozens and dozens of canned goods - stews and chilis and Spaghetti-O's. Brown said the food would be used to feed the port's police and its employees, many of whom, like him, had worked nonstop since Saturday.
They were only taking essentials, he said, though a copy of Queen Latifah's Beauty Shop movie had apparently made that list.
Brown said the work showed no sign of easing.
"It's pretty bad," he said. "They've been calling for body bags all day."
Most streets in New Orleans were empty yesterday except for the hub around the Wal-Mart, in a section of the city that remained dry. People were everywhere: in cars and trucks, pushing goods in carts and baby carriages, dragging full trash cans and laundry baskets. The steady stream of cars caused a traffic jam on the streets near the store - the type of traffic jam last seen here when people tried to evacuate.
"Is everything free?" asked a woman who pulled up in a red car. Hearing "yes," she started to chant: "TV! TV! TV!"
Inside, a teenage boy held up a pair of blue lacy panties and snickered, "I want to see somebody in these so bad," before tossing them in his basket.
Another man used a table to break into one of the last unscathed jewelry cases.
A rumor that the National Guard had arrived sent people running toward the store's exit, shouting: "Come on! Come on!" But no one put down any merchandise, and the Guard rumor turned out to be false.
Some shoppers were oddly selective. One woman said she was taking only facial-care products. Another was pushing a cart filled with silk roses and baby's breath. In the pharmacy aisle, she leaned over the handle, pushing it slowly as she read labels the way a paying customer would.
But the overwhelming feeling was one of chaos - angry shouting, carts ramming, fast grabbing. When a teenage girl passed out face down between the baby clothes and a women's-sock display, people pushed past or stepped on her.
Joseph LoCascio of Picayune, Miss., stopped to try to help the girl. He rolled her over, and she vomited pink liquid all over her face and hair. He then rolled her back.
"People just walking around like they don't care," he said.
He and his friend Sandi Nolan, 21, of Baton Rouge, tried to revive the girl by pouring water, Gatorade and soda over her face and neck. It only left her shirt and hair soaked.
LoCascio tried to get a man in a firefighter T-shirt to treat the girl, but the man hesitated, saying: "She's breathing. If I took her, where would I take her?"
About 15 minutes later, a firefighter medic arrived and began checking the girl. Still, LoCascio and Nolan were furious at their fellow looters.
Both have infants being treated at Children's Hospital, New Orleans, and had come to get baby food and supplies.
"I've never seen people like this. I have drinks and chips, things I need," Nolan said. "They're getting chain saws and fishing poles, anything they can get for free."
As she and LoCascio left, she noticed he had at least a dozen DVDs in his basket, as well as baby formula and baby food. She laughed and pointed it out to him.
"They're for the kids, so they can watch them," he said. "Things like Finding Nemo."
Nolan laughed. "Don't worry," she said. "I got a few too."
BUMP!!!!
On the other hand, I just heard on the radio that local authorites are going to go after any gas station owners caught "price gouging". I guess that this is what passes for law and order down there.
"Everything will be lost by loot or flood. What is the difference?"
Flooding is natural disaster, and looting is a national disaster.
I understand the frustration and hopelessness stated in your post....but I think (in our mobil society) that most of these families are not "islands unto themselves" probably having relatives elsewhere... that will be more than willing to help them relocate and start over.
Seriously, we should remember and remind people that probably 95% of these people vote Democrat.
Yeah, that sea level thing.....
I can understand food and drink, its survival. But I saw some animals steal a grand piano and tear the top off. They wheeled is down the street and loaded it up with goodies like sneakers, tvs and dvds. I laughed so hard it was just hysterical that these people show such ingenuity when it comes to stealing..
I just got on here and this is the first story I've latched on to so far. Why is the water still going up? Are the levy's all crumbling?
And yes, you did do the right thing. I've been through flooding several times (and I still live in a flood zone!)
The best thing to do is, get out, take what's important (pictures ) and get far away early. Things can be replaced, life can't. people who live in areas where disaster can strike at any time should plan for these events, unfortunately they don't. Even places where people think they are safe can be hit by disaster. The earth is an every changing, unstable place which could unleash unimaginable power anywhere at anytime without warning.
Your dad was a good man.
Law and order vs anarchy...
Wait till the welfare checks and food coupons don't arrive on the first....you ain't seen nothing yet...
So helping themselves to cases of beer, Queen Latifah DVD's, frilly blue panties, computer software and TV sets will help them how exactly?
Evacuate everybody not looting. Cut off all public services. Leave the looters to each other. After 2 weeks, they can trade in all their stash for a sandwich and a bottle of water.
Reparations?
They need to come up here to KS. The prices jumped 12-18 cents onvernight and all but one of the stations dont take delivery on fuel for 5-7 more days.
Go figure.
Nice. You know there's always a percentage of this that goes on. It's expected. I'm saying in the whole scheme of things, this is quite small.
For me, after having seen the RC during a flood in 1979, and at the same time the Salvation Army in action, the latter will get my funds.
To each their own.
You are right.
If the MAJORITY of people were doing this, the looting crowd would be much larger and there would be stampeding and shots fired no doubt.
But being oppressed is more than a feeling, being oppressed is an industry, and the Jessee Jacksons and Al Sharptons are its captains.
You bring up an excellent point. It had occurred to me that the looters are taking items that will be lost to flood waters if left where they are. I don't know if I'd trust the food items, in that toxic brew of flood waters, unless well sealed. It is the least problem to be sure, except where folks are shooting at officers. I did wonder about that, it almost seems a shame that so many items, salvagable at this point, will be wasted. It doesn't help though that some of the looters are talking 'oppression' and such, but I suppose they are not their usual selves, considering the situation. I'm not excusing bad behavior, but clearly they are stressed beyond what most people who aren't there can imagine. Good luck to you and yours.
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