Rumors of riots, crime unfounded, officials say (Houma, Louisana)

HoumaToday.com ^ | Sep 12, 2005 | Kimberly Solet

[atomicpossum]

Dispensing with the race angle, let's just say that people are applying the narrow reality they saw in the media to their own lives. Nothing travels faster or grows like gossip, and when the seeds are what the media decides to show through the narrow view of the camera lens, over and over, it's going to be pretty much the same story, regardless of what reality is.

Misconceptions, distortions, and outright tall tales are going to be around longer than the flood waters.

[NonValueAdded]

Then again if the breakdown in law & order was even a fraction of what was reported, law enforcement has a vested interest in downplaying the situation and getting as many incidents off the books as possible. If we're not to take ad hoc incident reports at face value then the same applies to pronouncements like "nothing to see, move on." Louisiana government from top to bottom has to be in major CYA mode at this point.

[SteveMcKing]

"White people are starting these rumors to blame the victim," said Rapping.

False.

"They don’t understand that the citizens from New Orleans are scared to death and powerless.

False.

What’s happening is racism,

False.

the major problem of our country.

False.

These kinds of rumors are deadly."

False.

---

Steve: 5
Rapping: 0

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Hey, like all truths, we seen it on MSM. What are we to believe, you or our lying eyes?

[KDD]

This is an attempt at image damage control.

[lepton]

In fact, police report overall crime in Terrebonne Parish has dropped 40 percent since the hurricane made landfall,

Most people were gone...people couldn't call the police...

It might be possible to tell if there was more crime than usual - if it overwhelmed what was covered up by the disaster itself, but no real way to tell if it was actually lower.

[ladyjane]

In fact, police report overall crime in Terrebonne Parish has dropped 40 percent since the hurricane made landfall,

No phone service in Terrebonne.

[Sthitch]

Isn't it quaint that an expert in pop culture is named Rapping? This who article is bunk, I do not remember white people being the ones spreading the rumors that black people had to resort to cannibalism after just two days without food. I had a long conversation with a friend about the rumors that have been swirling about Katrina. I think that most of them are being spread by the race baiter's (Jackson, Sharpton, et al.) to help keep their victims powerless.

[weegee]

There were British and Australian tourists trapped in New Orleans (no car) who also sought shelter at the civic buildings and rode the buses to Texas. They were the victims of horrible racism and violent threats.

The American media never discussed that racism.

There were also rumors in New Orleans that black people were being gathered into the Convention Center so that white people could torch the whole place and blame it on a gas leak. Now just who was it that started that rumor? White people?

The MSM has poisoned this poor man's mind.

All because the pointy heads in NYC want George W. Bush out of the White House by any means necessary.

[weegee]

..said pop-culture expert Elayne Rapping, professor of American studies at the University of Buffalo.

Quite the expert on small town Louisiana is she? I've been to Houma numerous times. Has she?

I will accept that there is little or no rise in crime after the storm there. But her rational is suspect.

[Graybeard58]

This article is about Houma,Louisana and the rumors there.

[Sender]

It is abject racism that victim-American looters and rapists were depicted as somehow lawless, while those of lower melanin levels were depicted as foraging for needed televisions and booty.

George Bush needs to stop eating babies and fire all the racist rapelophobes in his corrupt administration! No buses for oil! Vive la Greyhound!

[WasDougsLamb]

In fact, police report overall crime in Terrebonne Parish has dropped 40 percent since the hurricane made landfall, forcing thousands to flee their homes and plant new roots along the Gulf Coast.

"We’ve had fewer crimes since the hurricane than we had before. It took a dive," said Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter. "My detectives are not out there working cases. They’re out there doing relief efforts."

You have had no crime because you HAVE probably evacuated your criminals to poor, unsuspecting cities all over the US.


White people are starting these rumors to blame the victim," said Rapping. "They don’t understand that the citizens from New Orleans are scared to death and powerless. What’s happening is racism, the major problem of our country. These kinds of rumors are deadly.

WHITE people watch the news and SEE the looting and whose doing it. Please crawl back in your hole and come out when you have something intelligent to say.

These kinds of rumors are deadly."
No. They are informative. Big difference.

Saying white people did this and white people did that is getting so lame. I can't believe the ingratitude of some people. Keep on biting the hand that feeds you and YOU might find out how little WE can do.

[md2576]

"These are people that have never gone through a tragedy or lived from check to check," said Larpenter. "These are people that have been isolated all their lives, sheltered all their lives, and they never had to deal with trauma in their lives. These are narrow-minded people who have never seen the real world."

She mean white people? I'm sure she just said that.

Who's racist?

[JoeGar]

It’s important to note that rumors are often spread by a fraction of the population.

Like small groups, such as Nagin and the press, telling us that 10,000 or more died.

[Graybeard58]

You have had no crime because you HAVE probably evacuated your criminals to poor, unsuspecting cities all over the US.

Terrebonne Parish is not evacuated.

[WasDougsLamb]

I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing out my error. Feel better?


Have a nice day.

[Graybeard58]

I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing out my error. Feel better?

I said it in as nice a way as I knew how. I meant no offense and am sorry if you took any.

I have been corrected many times here at FR and it doesn't bother me at all. It only starts to get irritating after having been corrected a dozen times or so because of the same mistake. People will correct without reading any more replies after seeing a mistake.

I do feel better now and I hope you do too.

[WasDougsLamb]

Yes. I feel better. And no offense taken. I am so passionate about this Katrina subject that I post faster than I read.

Thank you, honestly.