Slidell--people are scavenging--it is not looting, they are trying to

[rodeodance]

find items that they need for basic living. This from a msnbc reporter right now. She said coolers, propain tanks etc.

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Canned goods and bottled water too, i'd be.....

[MercutioATC]

2. Yes, that's true. "Shopping" for jewelry, however is also going on.

...as is breaking into banks and ATMs and raiding hospitals for drugs.

The term "looter" has been used to describe people exhibiting a wide range of behavior. Not all looters are doing something that I'd consider bad, but some definitely are.

It's something to keep in mind.

[CottonBear]

3. That's because Slidell is a white flight suburb of NO.

Not many black people there. Mr. CB was born and grew up in NO and moved to Slidell in grade school. Lots of whites moved out of NO in the 1960s.

Remember: White people find. Black people loot. :(

[puddycat]

4. the looters I saw on news had tvs, pants, dvds, other electronics

while certainly some people grabbed necessities--most of those probably went quickly. The looters are mostly young healthy looking people who could be organizing, helping, and WALKING OUT of New Orleans. Instead they are contributing to the breakdown of their own society.

And let me remind everyone: these thugs in no way represent the majority of poor people who live in NO. The majority of decent citizens are not on tv because they aren't carrying a stolen gun or tv down the street.

[donsu]

5. did you ever think that the items stolen could be sold for survival?

if they ever get out of NO jewlery, etc. could be sold for food and shelter

[stray cat]

6. Both scavenging and looting is occuring

Although I guess one could argue that AK47s might be a legitimate thing to scavage. There is certainly a criminal element who always takes advantage of chaos and their are other groups of people just struggling to survive.