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."
Let me guess. Your company had a program to match donations for Tsunami victims half way around the world.
You need to spend a couple of days on a roof surrounded by flood water watching the bodies float by.
These people are enduring a disaster of biblical proportions and you are worried about the safety of the insured contents of a Walmart.
So true! Stealing is not normal behavior. I'll continue to make donations through The Salvation Army. There are other worthy charities as well, but this is the one I've chosen. I'm happy to be able to help, but I will not haphazardly throw my money at looters.
I've seen the kind of assistance The Salvation Army provides. They will be at the center of the disaster, giving whatever is needed. They will also help those who have evacuated to other locations. They will give help where help is needed.
Well of course you wouldn't. But there is always a percentage who will. My point is why be surprised and who really cares right now during this terrible, terrible tragedy.
Thank you for putting this self-righteous moron in his place.
But I know of a guy...whose mother, dad and brother lost 4 or 5 houses..and they are coming to live with him. I'll bet he could use the money...and ALL of it will directly go to feed/clothe/nurture..etc...victims of the hurricane.
FWIW-
If you're going to make unwarranted personal attacks, you should at least ping your target.
I can't tell from the picture, are those bottles of beer???
susie
If they had hurricane insurance on their homes, I wonder if that covers the loss, or is this considered a flood? I think our deductible for our insurance for hurricanes is about 2% of the value of the house. I think it runs between 2% and 5% depending on the insurance.
susie
This behavior is exactly why folks often refuse to evacuate in the first place ! You leave & the govt. actually aids & abbets the looters instead of shooting them.
Yeah, you're both right. The two of you should decide what I do with my money. Where do I get off thinking I should be the one to decide? I didn't even know about the secret money tree insurance companies have that makes it okay to steal stuff that's insured.
Brilliant.
Owl_Eagle(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
It's also why a great many folks own firearms. Cause they understand what happens when the welfare state dependents face a power vacuum.
Bookmark
The reason we should all care, it that the looting will only get worse, and widen to include robery, murder and rape, and will make rescue and evacuation impossible. Thats why since time immemorial looters were given a death sentence. Once the veneer of civilization starts to peel off, it's hard to glue back on.
I read that there has already been a cop shot (murdered?) by a looter. Your problem (& mine) is that we don't sit around on our computers trying to understand the people who are committing these atrocities. We have a preconceived notion that theft and murder are wrong. We have been so concerned with the slippery slope, while others are gleefully advocating jumping off the cliff.
I think that is pretty much the standard. A lot of people are going to be really hurting.
Why do you keep posting the same stuff over and over?
susie
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