Posted on 09/01/2005 7:16:17 AM PDT by TheForceOfOne
NEW ORLEANS — Mayor Ray Nagin ordered 1,500 police officers to leave their search-and-rescue mission last night and return to the streets to stop looting that has turned increasingly hostile as the city plunges deeper into chaos.
"They are starting to get closer to heavily populated areas — hotels, hospitals — and we're going to stop it right now," Nagin said.
The number of officers called off the search-and-rescue mission amounts to virtually the entire police force in New Orleans.
The out-of-control thievery had escalated while cops joined National Guardsmen in focusing on saving lives.
In some cases, New Orleans police officers took part in the looting. One cop was seen carting off a computer and a 27-inch flat-screen TV, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Earlier yesterday, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blan- co said she has asked the White House to send more people to help with evacuations and rescues, thereby freeing up National Guardsmen to stop looters.
The looting got worse as people brazenly ran- sacked stores for food, beer, clothing, appliances — and guns.
There have been some citizen-vs.-criminal standoffs, with one shopkeeper posting an ominous sign: "You loot, I shoot."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Where are the Black Politicians???? Every one of these poor people are black.
So BIG DEAL - So some half meth-uped criminal who has no training might have a hunting rifle and maybe the right ammo and has not been sighted in...he will be dead within 2 secs when he runs up against any NG unit - most of whom have been to deployed to a combat zone...
Every time I turn to my constantly running TV, I do not see stealing of clean water and food, I see stealing of liquor, TVs, jewelry, clothes, guns, non "essentials." This is not people starving in the desert, friend, it is a case of using a natural disaster to steal from your neighbor. Have a good day!
Right. But do you think that Blanco has the stomach for it? Bush will have to nationalize the Guard in order for that to happen.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco SHOULD have sent in School Busses with megaphones to help get the poor black people out of the city when she ordered evacuation!!!! Bad planning.
Let me guess? Economics major? or did you miss those four years....
But its happening here. And yet, as a society that lives by the rule of law, some are condoning illegal behavior.
Unfricken real.
What???
Is that a suggestion that the better thing to do is ignore the crime?
Sure, there are benefits to having insurance, but there is a dark underbelly too and you have just highlighted the problem - it can be used irresponsibly.
Building and rebuilding in areas that are likely to be destroyed on a regular basis is insane if YOU have to pay for it. But if somebody else has to pay, then what the hell.
Business owners need to responsibly protect their assets, and not just shrug their sholders and say the insurance will pay for it. /rant
Hope the NG gets there pronto.
:::I'm sure that this will be blamed not on the fruits of liberal policies (and welfare handouts that have led to class warfare and the feeling of entitlement) and not on the people actually committing the wrong doing (boohoo how could we blame the guy doing the stealing?) but on society and some supposed lack of compassion..yeah right...my @ss:::
It's up to US to make sure that doesn't happen. We have to hammer home the truth. If we don't then God help us all.
MartialLaw does not even exist in LA law. I have not been able to find anywhere, anything that states martial law in LA or the USA, warrants anything more than a suspension of certain civil liberties, much less killing looters. Please forward the source so I may view it myself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law#The_U.S._State_of_Louisiana
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/aug2005/mart-a09.shtml
http://dictionary.law.com/default2.asp?selected=1219&bold=%7C%7C%7C%7C
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2005/08/update-louisiana-martial-law.php
Two words:
Replacement costs.
I can't believe the free market has to be defended on free republic. Gotta love situational socialism.
Two words:
Deep recession
I can't believe you think we live in pure capitalism and can justify price gouging. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1474873/posts
It's not price gouging. Learn economics.
Man. It's really sad. Try DU for your government control fix.
I'll stack MY conservatism and morals against anyone who posts here.
Maybe it's that I've had 65 years worth of diverse experiences -- vs. the 20 somethings who have never been in this situation -- but IF MY family's survival depended on my ability to get necessary water, food and other items during a period when basic supply infrastructure systems have totally collapsed, I'd be out there getting what I needed to keep them fed and well ANY way -- short of a capital crime (IF POSSIBLE!) -- I could.
And, despite all the testosterone induced BS being flung around by these 20 somethings with limited life experiences and no kids to care for, SO WOULD THEY!!
What I would do that most of the current looters are probably NOT doing is leave a trail and record so I could make recompense to the establishment from which I obtained those items.
Having said that, these criminals seen carting away NON-ESSENTIAL ITEMS need to be prosecuted if they can be identified once order is restored.
Katrina proves that we are ALL -- and I DO mean A L L -- one short step away from "Lord of The Flies."
Which explains why I have significant stocks of freeze-dried, nitrogen packed foodstuffs close at hand.
And the means -- and will -- to defend me and mine so don't get any ideas...
I so wish that everyone understood that the $71/bbl oil is the OCTOBER FUTURES.
The gas stations and oil companies that are ripping us off, won't see oil at THAT PRICE for 6 weeks after that.
If you don't believe that we are all being ripped off at the gasoline pump, then I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.
Not in Louisiana, if they are entering your home or car you can shoot to kill.
It's getting old, we saw it yesterday.
I'm comforted by your ideas. I'm going to raise my prices too. Oh, there will be a fallout but what the hell?
BTW, I studied Austrian economics. Dream world of graphs that always proved one's point. Funny how that works in the classroom but don't pan out in the real world. Academics has a way of creating fiction in one prone to navel gazing.
I live in the real world not in Boortzland. Why not make the gas prices $10 until the market equalizes. Oh sure, we'll have an immediate collapse of the economy but long term...we'll be true to Henry Hazlitt.
Why not place a surcharge on all the products in all the stores because NOLA and Mobile are closed? Let's be true to Sennholz and worship at the altar of Von Mises. I'm ready for the chaos. How about you? Your theories are truly small comfort on the sudden quiet roads of Anytown, America.
Oh and I like the DU comment Bunny, nice touch.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.