[LenS]

It won't stop with looting. The looting is just the first stage in people running amuck. Next, there will be rapes and killings as the animal side of people takes over. That's why you stop looting as soon as you see it.

In the Rodney King riots, the LAPD backed off in those first crucial hours and a n easily controlled situation flared up into a disaster. But in some of those other small cities embedded in LA, the police immediately jumped on troublemakers as soon they did something. As a result, they'd had only a fraction of the problems that LA had.

You can't have decent rescue or recovery operations in an atmosphere of chaos. That's why maintaining a semblance of order is job one in a disaster. Lose that veneer of civilization and a disaster turns into something ten times worse.

[NonValueAdded]

3000 NG in Memphis are being mobilized to come down to patrol, per reporter on WDSU just a minute ago.

[wimpycat]

It won't stop with looting. The looting is just the first stage in people running amuck. Next, there will be rapes and killings as the animal side of people takes over. That's why you stop looting as soon as you see it.

Which is exactly what I was telling my co-worker this afternoon while explaining why I was so down on looters. Words of wisdom from Barney Fife: NIP IT! (IN THE BUD)

I don't necessarily think looters should be shot dead, but then making them run the gauntlet (the good old-fashioned Indian way) is inconvenient.

[Alissa]

Agree, but panic is still the situation here. People are scared and not necessarily normal, if you can identify. I still maintain looting is hardly the problem to focus on at this moment in time. Our focus as citizens/Freepers should be on what we can do to help, not beef about a few who are looting.