Posted on 08/30/2005 12:59:42 PM PDT by LM_Guy
NEW ORLEANS With much of the city flooded by Hurricane Katrina, looters floated garbage cans filled with clothing and jewelry down the street in a dash to grab what they could.
In some cases, looting today took place in full view of police and National Guard troops.
At a Walgreen's drug store in the French Quarter, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.
When police finally showed up, a young boy stood in the door screaming, "86! 86!" the radio code for police and the crowd scattered.
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.
One man, who had about 10 pairs of jeans draped over his left arm, was asked if he was salvaging things from his store.
"No," the man shouted, "that's EVERYBODY'S store."
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.
Mike Franklin stood on the trolley tracks and watched the spectacle unfold.
"To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society," he said.
A man walked down Canal Street with a pallet of food on his head. His wife, who refused to give her name, insisted they weren't stealing from the nearby Winn-Dixie supermarket. "It's about survival....
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
I can understand the folks who take food, drinks, diapers, etc. - hell - even the beer, but taking televisions and other things that are pretty useless under current circumstances just doesn't compute. Do they think there's gonna be somebody to buy it from 'em?
By Golly, I think he has some Grolsch in there too.
The jokes on them.They will not be able to take it out with them and it is fast becoming leave or die.
Time for a little target practice.
Look at these women - they are clearly in the final stages of starvation, and you would deny them Ho-Hos, Dr. Pepper and other nourishing basics?
Interviewed a guy after the Philly riots. Swore he hadn't looted the jewelry store he was standing in front of.... with three gold Rolexes on each arm.
I suspect they are simply taking pictures of the looters now, and they will be dealt with at a later time, right now there are bigger fish to fry.
Someone needs to get the picture of Bender Looting when he discovered New New York was going to be hit by a comet.
But on a serious note. Anyone stealing clothes, jewlwery, beer, eeletronics needs to be thrown in jail. If they are taking a pack of diapers or a loaf of bread I can understand.
"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."
Oh sure, Denise, like they wouldn't be looting in Philadelphia, cradle of fine manners and decorum.
Yep - and the same mindset will kick in on the first of the month when the mailman's unable to deliver "the checks".
Mark my words.
I told a FReeper earlier that N.O. was effectively destroyed. I re-thought that as being a little too much hyperbole... but now I'm not sure. How do they recover from this???
Quick, do a survey to see what percentage of looters are Democrats and Republicans.
New Orleans police hold shoot guns as they try to keep people away from a drug store in a flooded are of downtown New Orleans, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Numerous other nearby store were previously looted. (AP Photo/Eric Gay
How did Manhattan recover from 9/11? We're Americans...anything is possible.
Betcha $20 his name is on Welfare and Public Assistance roles everywhere!
No one is going to be buying any of that food anyway. So whether they are starving or not is a moot point. Consider the food theft as part of clean up. Again, I'm only speaking to food and necessities such as diapers etc.
All guns are shoot guns, be more specific.
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