Why would anyone want to shoot at a military helicopter?

[dogday]

http://www.click2weather.com/weather/4887230/detail.html

Superdome Evacuations Disrupted After Reports Of Shots Fired
Able-Bodied Evacuees Still Being Moved To Astrodome

UPDATED: 9:15 am CDT September 1, 2005

The evacuation of the Superdome was disrupted Thursday after shots were reported fired at a military helicopter and arson fires broke out outside the arena. No injuries were immediately reported.

An air ambulance service official said earlier that helicopter transfers of the sick and injured were suspended, but the National Guard said Thursday that able-bodied evacuees were still being moved by bus to Houston's Astrodome.

"We have suspended operations until they gain control of the Superdome," said Richard Zeuschlag, head of Acadian Ambulance, which was handling the evacuation of sick and injured people from the Superdome in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.


Why would anyone do that after days of waiting to get out of that place and when they get the chance to go, they do what, set a fire? Does any of this make sense to anyone?

[lonestarnot]

1. We are under attack?

[SoCalDem]

2. Because there at thousands of dispossesed ANGRY people

who are thirsty, sleepless, hungry, you name it.. They are "acting out".

[Dem Agog]

3. you're kidding, right?

days and days of extreme heat, disease, despair, flooding, being shot at trying to get food or water, little or no chance of getting out anytime soon...

some people will be feeling like shooting at anything. it's called dementia... sets in after enough time in conditions like this.

[Don Claybrook]

4. No, it doesn't make sense, but we have no idea what it's like

to be in that situation. And that doesn't excuse shooting at a helicopter, but it sounds to me like someone wasn't thinking very straight because they're way out there on the teetering edge of existence between life and death.

[Karenina]

14. A vet having an "episode?"

:shrug: Truth is who knows WHO is doing what or why? What we DO KNOW is the U.S. gubmint by its inaction is KILLING ITS CITIZENS.

[KittyWampus]

5. Remember Lord Of The Flies?

[catnhatnh]

6. How about blind rage....

...brought on by 4 days of abandonment...

[Mass]

7. Because they are desperate, have no hope, and feel betrayed?

Blame the lousy response to this catastrophy.

These people have been there for three days now, in terrible circumstances. Dont be surprised that people dont think rationnally and act without any civic sense. The order has not helped them until now.

[wellstone_democrat]

8. Uh, criminals didn't all evacuate

Let's get off the people-gone-wild mantra on this board and realize that in all places at all times some people are simply sociopaths and criminals. This situation is where they are taking advantage of the break down to do what they want. They might not see that as relief but the presence of law enforcement. It takes ONE person with a rifle out of 50,000 to be a problem with gunfire against aid workers.

There are certainly criminals who stayed and are doing what they always do. That should not be a surprise. They are going to go where they can steal or prey upon others and the SD is loaded with people.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. All of the above

:-(

[Dogmudgeon]

10. They've gone nuts

It's in the upper 90s there in the afternoon. A large number of the people have not had food or water in four days. The Superdome itself is like a torture chamber/oven/garbage pit/unflushed toilet/swamp/insectorium.

The survivors look around and they know: The President has abandoned us. America has abandoned us. And maybe it really is all about race, or at least about social class.

The misery, the anger, the sickness gets to some people. They act out their rage. That's not to say it's a wonderful way to act, but we're dealing with irrational people now.

This is going to take a long, long time to get over.

--p!

[sniffa]

11. they've been abandoned

i can't say that enough. :cry:

[dsewell]

12. Why do arsonists start fires?

Someone with a pack of matches can cause incredible devastation during the fire season out West. Sociopaths have been directly responsible for the burning of hundreds of homes and the deaths of firefighters.

Someone with a gun can achieve something similar in the right circumstances. It happened yesterday in Baghdad, indirectly (where the earlier mortar attack on Shiite pilgrims set up the panic reaction at the "suicide bomber" rumor). It happened this morning in New Orleans.

Plus we have this thing called the Second Amendment that some people interpret to mean that the more guns the citizenry has, the safer we are. New Orleans this week is an interesting test case of that theory.

[Almost_there]

13. People aren't rational...

Why shoot at a helicopter trying to get you out? Well, stupidity is perfectly legal in this country. As for the response, I don't think anyone here actually realizes the massive devastation that occurred, I know I can't comprehend it. Remember that it looked like New Orleans had dodged a bullet Monday when the storm tracked to the east, and Tuesday morning, they found that the bullet actually hit the massive propane tank 5 feet behind them when the levees broke.

I don't think the response has been terrible, considering that the entirity of New Orleans is under water, Gulfport and Biloxi are GONE, the dead don't take priority here. Be rational in thinking about this, what would you like done? I've seen "The response is terrible!" Well, it is now Thursday morning, this happened Monday when the storm hit, can't well move in a hurricane, Tuesday, when the levee let go, I-10 was gone, there was basically no way in or out of the city, police vehicles were trapped, we've all seen the trapped trucks on the elevated highways, surrounded by water.

Today and tomorrow will determine the response. People shooting at the helicopters are just not thinking, but, people looting, stealing not water, bread, diapers, but, televisions, watches, bicycles, etc aren't thinking either. It is panic time there, and they need to get everyone out before they can really asses the depth of the damage.

[dmkinsey]

15. Too much "liberated" beer

n/t