"but it's not helpful to say FReepers have been apologizing for this kind of crap."
Doesn't matter if it's 'helpful' or not - it's true.
And apologizing and making excuses for people acting like savages is NOT 'helpful'.
There would be more security and less lawlessness, and probably less loss of life if the government adopted a policy of shooting looters on sight. Instead, you get more of the behavior you reward - and this is the obvious result.
That's what's sad - these same apologists can't see the consequences of their own "awww, these poor people" attitude. You reap what you sow, and the same lax attitude has reaped this action.
Stop it. You're bound and determined to twist the truth for some strange goal of making FReepers out to be the bad guy here. I'm not getting on board with it.
My solution:
Turn off the cameras.
Take care of business.