A word about looters....

[madeline_con]

I'll be the first to say hungry people will do what they can to get food in circumstances as dire as those in the devastated areas left in the wake of Katrina. They have that right, IMO.

I refuse to buy into the notion, however, that all the looting is for food and diapers or other necessities.

There will always be those who take advantage of the fact that there is no law enforcement and that businesses' windows and doors have been breeched in order to take things to sell or barter.

Just because disaster struck, the criminal element that is part of all societies did not necessarily evacuate. The fact that some posters here can't imagine where they'd store it does not mean they have no place to do so.

I'm sorry if this hurts some feelings of those who like to look through rose colored glasses at the world and believe man is inherently good deep down inside. Some people are simply scum and nothing will stop them making a buck off someone else.

Rest assured, there are more on the way to take advantage and gauge the survivors for their remaining money. Those taking what they don't need right now just happen to be there already.

:rant:

[madmax]

1. Those caught should not be sent to jail

They should have to work the most disgusting clean up jobs until it's done.

[madeline_con]

5. I don't see how they're supposed to take people to jail....

unless by helicopter. (??)

I see logistics problems....

[Horse with no Name]

2. I think using manpower right now to stop looting is wrong

I'm not saying the looting itself isn't wrong.
I'm not naive to think that a city that has a huge crime rate in the best of times wouldn't have equal or more in the worst of times.

[SteppingRazor]

3. I'll do you one better -- almost NONE of the looting is for food, diapers.

It's mostly people seeing an opportunity to get stuff, and then going out and taking what they want.
If they enter your house (or what's left of it), shoot'em. Ammo's always a part of my hurricane survival kit :evilgrin:

[madeline_con]

6. We'll need a link...

to believe THAT! :sarcasm:

[RebelOne]

Well, Jim Spellman, a reporter with CNN who was on Canal Street

was witnessing looting. He said people were taking electronics and smashing storefront windows and grabbing anything they could get their hands on. So it does not look like this looting is for food only. These people are low-life scum.

[kick-ass-bob]

7. "Almost NONE"?

Almost none of anything being shown on TV, maybe.

Tell me that if you had no food, that you wouldn't go somewhere to try to get some. You get to the store, and there is no one to pay. What do you do? Leave? I don't think so.

[madeline_con]

11. I'd get food, not a TV....

for starters.

No one's mentioned some might WANT to get to a jail, where conditions may be better...

:shrug:

[kick-ass-bob]

14. but the MSM does not distinguish the difference from looting food

and looting TVs. That's where the outrage is.

[SteppingRazor]

18. Agreed. And my comments are more geared toward the TV-types.

If I hadn't eaten in over a day, I'd heist food myself.

But if I had just enough food for me and my loved ones, and I had no idea when help would arrive, and someone showed up to try to get my food? I pity them.

It probably seems hypocritical -- hell, it IS hypocritical, I suppose -- but self-preservation's a bitch.

[madeline_con]

22. If I stole food, and someone tried to take it...

I'm with you. Ammo is part of the "survival kit".

Are you a Southerner, too? :eyes:

[SteppingRazor]

33. I'm a Floridian...

Just got my power back yesterday.

[madeline_con]

42. Ouch!

We're coming up on the anniversary of our loss of most of our junk from Frances...

There are two swirling off the African coast....

[madeline_con]

20. Maybe they'll get a clue....

when this visits their own home.

[Prism]

37. Fox did

I know, I couldn't believe my ears either. But the anchor did outline there was a difference between grabbing food and drinkable water and getting non-essentials.

My general dislike for them managed to up itself into indifference for about 30 seconds.

But it was a quick 30 seconds.

[RaleighNCDUer]

40. Then why so many pictures of them going into supermarkets?

Just wondering.

[OneBlueSky]

4. yeah, it's disturbing . . . but it's only "stuff" . . .

the real concern should be about the people trapped, suffering, losing their homes, etc. . . I just can't get too upset about looters when there are so many larger issues to worry about . . .

[madeline_con]

8. There's also the other side....

what little some might be able to salvage doesn't need to be left to thieves. :shrug:

[Igel]

38. If people are active and well enough to lift a TV from a store,

they're well enough to help search for people that are trapped and sick/weak and feed them.

It's only stuff; but many looters are placing others' stuff above others' needs.

[stillcool]

9. Take your word and....

[madeline_con]

12. No, not gonna do it. Not at this juncture.

Face facts. It's not all about feeding hungry children.

[stillcool]

19. Your facts? No thank you.

..I have seen and heard facts like yours' espoused most of my life, but now I prefer truth.

[madeline_con]

24. Keep watching the tube....

they'll show it eventually.

[kick-ass-bob]

10. Yes, there are some who will cheat.

But you are not talking about the majority of these people trapped in this situation. If they DON'T go get the food they need, then that guarantees that either a) the true looters will get it or b) the food will rot.

[madeline_con]

13. The majority probably aren't being arrested.

If you were a cop, who would you nab? The guy with a bag of groceries, or the one with a cart full of electronics?

[underpants]

15. Yes but that isn't really the message getting out there today is it?

;-) Looters ;-)

[distantearlywarning]

16. I would like to know

how any of you on either side "KNOW" what the majority of the looters are taking????

How can you argue about this when you don't know all the facts?

[madeline_con]

26. How many times have the businesses in your neighborhood...

been looted after a natural disaster?

I've lived through it, and it can bring out the best and WORST in people.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

17. Right on......

.....I think most agree it's hardly the biggest issue going on right now, and saving those trapped is more important than protecting "stuff". But their being out on the street might potentially hinder those efforts, and the folks on here giving all looters a free pass with some sort of honorable survival instinct excuse for the whole bunch are really quite naive.

[Lars39]

21. Of course with water chest deep or deeper,

you're limited to what you can take out on your head. :sarcasm:

[madeline_con]

29. Practice with your own TV....

you might be surprised what you could make off with. ;)

[pimpbot]

32. These looters are crafty

They said they are filling industrial sized trashcans with their bounty and floating it down the street with them!

Theres just something about the word loot. Loot Loot Loot Loot Loot Loot Loot Loot Loot.

[Fleshdancer]

23. Eagles Up!

[Chicago Democrat]

30. Beautiful Eagles! I love eagles. In St. Germaine WI is visit them

:)

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

36. TURKEYS HO!!!!

[Jara sang]

25. Eagles up!

[Chicago Democrat]

27. This is a right wing talking point... Looters are irrelevent...

The issue is WHERE ARE THE NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS???


They are supposed to be HERE to stop looting.. Don't blame poor folks.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

28. SEAGULLS UP!

[madeline_con]

31. Can you give them time to get there?!

They have to travel through the same mess they're telling people not to come back to.

[Redstone]

34. And the vulture "contractor" scammers will be all over that area

just like they were in Florida, and they'll be there pretty much first, you can bet on that.

Redstone

[Jara sang]

35. PENGUINS UP!

No wait... that one doesn't quite work...

[no name no slogan]

41. DODOS FORWARD

eh, no use.

[RaleighNCDUer]

39. That said,

for every dollar of goods looted there is probably a million dollars of goods simply destroyed and washed away.

When you come right down to it, the looting is unimportant.

Lets have some perspective, folks.