Looting Begins in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — With much of the city emptied by Hurricane Katrina, some opportunists took advantage of the situation by looting stores.

Denise Bollinger, a tourist from Philadelphia, stood outside and snapped pictures in amazement.

"It's downtown Baghdad," the housewife said. "It's insane. I've wanted to come here for 10 years. I thought this was a sophisticated city. I guess not."

Around the corner on Canal Street, the main thoroughfare in the central business district, people sloshed headlong through hip-deep water as looters ripped open the steel gates on the front of several clothing and jewelry stores.

Looters filled industrial-sized garbage cans with clothing and jewelry and floated them down the street on bits of plywood and insulation as National Guard lumbered by.

"To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society," he said.

Would you be crying racism and bigotry if all the looters were white? Criminals are criminals regardless of race. It just so happens that every looter I've seen on video has been black. Explain that for me. I'm sorry, but no matter how you want to spin it...that fact alone doesn't enhance the image of blacks in America and if I was black I would be just as disappointed in that fact than as if they were all white.

You see, its a respect issue. In order to respect others and their property you have to respect yourself first. SELF RESPECT is not appointed or given or ordained unto people, it comes from within. In order to be poor in this country you have to be lacking in self respect becuase there is absolutely no excuse for poverty in a land where there is opportunity everywhere. Obviously these people are poor becuase they lack the self respect not to be, therefore they don't respect other peoples property and they loot at others expense. I'm neither surprised by this or sympathetic of their situation. They were paresites before the storm hit and they are parasites after the storm. The only thing that changed is their visability.

I am disgusted by the racism and bigotry in the responses here.

There are a few comments that border on assuming that all looters are of african descent...the reality is that people of any racial background will take the opportunity to loot when they think they can get away with it. I think the best categorization is poor folks with a welfare, society owes me mentality.

Party of Lincoln my ass.

Now why would someone make a sarcastic comment about the GOP like that? I don't see any of those posters loudly proclaiming their views as the offical Republican party line...it's certainly not required that you even be a Republican to post on FR. This is an insult to FR as well..

Hmmm... stealth troll account?

Been here for awhile...the behavior certainly fits though, perhaps an explanation from the little "stealth troll"...?

"Overview: Looting is theft that occurs during an apparent, usually temporary, absence of authority and order, resulting in loss of property due to this theft, and usually destruction of other property in order to steal. This lapse of can be caused by either lack of resources(e.g., terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001), lack of organization(e.g., 1992 Los Angeles riots), or absence of a command structure(e.g., 2003 invasion of Iraq and Hurricane Katrina). Causes of these events range from a disaster, a war, an evacuation or a blackout. The instability caused by these events to a society, and the possible damage to infrastructure creates an environment where government resources are somehow restricted, due to their own evacuation, or due to their already being committed to the destabilizing event, and also due to the failure of deterrents such as phones to report incidents, lighting to discourage them, and security systems to detect them. [edit] Reasons behind looting.. Looting is often opportunistic. The apparent lapse in authority enables people to believe that they won't be discovered or charged. Looting also cascades through a group of people as one person believes that his contribution to the crime is lessened because someone else is looting, too. People may also believe that if the goods are not stolen, then they will simply be wasted, and see their act as a lesser of two evils. Finally, a looter may believe that if he doesn't steal the property, it will simply be stolen by someone else and he will gain nothing from his obedience. Looters are usually locals of the site of the disaster, and as such, may have lost alot of their own property. This further encourages them to steal as it is reducing the negative impact of the disaster. In many countries, even in Western democracies that otherwise ban the death penalty, extraordinary measures may be taken against looters, during times of crisis. Looters may be summarily shot by the police, army, or property owners. Extraordinary measures, combined with an impressive show of force, help to discourage looting and to disperse crowds that would now find a normal show of force non-threatening. This is also common police practice in discouraging potential riots, which are often associated with looting, from escalating." -- Wikipedia

Sorry that was outside new orleans people doing that. Ever go watch a Mardi Gras parade where regular New orleans people go. Think not.

I watched a Mardi Gras parade up on Carrollton a couple of years ago. A very, very, VERY family friendly event. In general, tourists have such a bad opinion coming away from New Orleans because they were TOO STUPID to visit areas outside of those which stupid tourists generally haunt. Sad. Now, more than ever, New Orleans will need ambassadors, both from there and not, to tell the truth about how truly fantastic of a place it is (or was, as the case may prove to be).

Here's a list I drew up years ago for friends visiting New Orleans for the first time:

Eric's List of Things to Avoid in New Orleans:

10. Going hungry. In the words of Mark Twain "New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin." You don't live there, you only live once, eat... frequently.

9. Hurricanes. Well, perhaps not avoid, per se, just avoid drinking more than three unless you want to sommeil in the gutter, non vrai?

8. Saying "Nawlins," "Nawlin" or "New OrLEEENS." It's New Orleans. This is one thing the locals pronounce correctly. Join them.

7. Anything that is "Cajun" or has been "Cajuned." First off, New Orleans is historically a creole city with heavy multicultural influence, not Cajun. The nearest large community of Cajuns would be 85 miles west in Vermillion Parish, and THEY don't call ANYTHING "Cajun" (other than themselves) or "cajuned." It's food. Secondly, anything that has been "cajuned" would probably be referred to as "burnt" or "over spiced" by an actual Cajun. If you HAVE to use words to choose food, pick something named after a street in New Orleans or a hooker. Can't miss.

6. Walking anywhere alone. Paranoid? Maybe. There's just no reason to risk it. The 'haves' and 'have nots' live in very close proximity in Orleans Parish. With great frequency the 'have nots' sneak over to where the 'haves' (and tourists) hang out and attempt to even the score.

5. Walking lakeside (NW) of Rampart Street or riverside (SW) of Magazine Street. See #6 above. This is where a whole lot of the 'have nots' live. Unfortunately (?) there is some good food and world class jazz north of Rampart. If you go, take a cab.

4. Beads. Unless it's Mardi Gras (or maybe New Years). It's like wearing a Bon Jovi shirt to a Metallica concert. "Dat was last week, bra."

3. The need for a public restroom. Why? Because there aren't any. You really don't want a full bladder in the Quarter.

2. Engaging in conversation with anyone whom says "I bet I know where you got 'dem shoes." Unless it's to say "I gots 'dem on my feet on [Insert Street Here]." Anything else is a good way to get conned, or worse, rolled.

1. Lucky Dogs. Oh, sure. They'll sound REALLY good about 4 a.m. after you stumble out of a bar invisible drunk. Avoid. Write it on your hand if you must, so that drunk you knows what to do. The cart men are invariably street bums by profession and WHO KNOWS when they changed the water last, or if it's even WATER (ew). Get thee to Café du Monde. Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Sigh...

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