posted on August 31, 2005 07:45:43 AM new
I am watching the people looting the stores on the news. I can't help but wonder if the businesses will be covered by insurance.
I can understand people needed to get the basics. Food, medicine, hygiene items ect...
What I do not understand is people taking TVs, jewelery, entire racks of clothes.
This is not an ordinary situation in which looters take advantage of an opportunity to take such items as TV's and jewlery. These people are in a basic survival mode, taking diapers and food and possibly things that can be taken in trade. Since the businesses will be compensated by insurance for their catastrophic loss in the first place, I believe that media has directed too much emphasis on this issue, leading some callous ass like duhsquirrel to sit back with his popcorn in the comfort of his home and say "shoot them".
posted on August 31, 2005 08:57:33 AM new
I don't know Helen - I have no issues at all with the looting at grocery stores and such but Foot Locker and a Jewelry store? Some are taking what they need and that is understandable and why even the police were taking no action but that's not all and the ones taking advantage of this situation for personal gain should be dealt with... I don't think they should be shot... maybe they should all be housed at the soon to be evacuated Superdome. Let them hang in the heat and stench and sleep in stadium seating for the next four weeks.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on August 31, 2005 09:23:03 AM new
I heard one report that a store owner opened his business doors and invited people to come in and take what they might need, free of charge.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on August 31, 2005 09:27:17 AM newand why even the police were taking no action
Either Fox News or CNN reported the reason they couldn't stop all the looting was they didn't have enough police officers to deal with all the looters.
That was at the same time they were announcing N.O. was going to be under Marshall law.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
[ edited by Linda_K on Aug 31, 2005 09:29 AM ]
posted on August 31, 2005 09:33:34 AM new
The worst example of absolute CHUTZPAH was when one of the looters came out of a store, laden with items & asked a cop if he could borrow the cop's car!
Traditionally, looting has always been a "shoot-on-sight" offense, and I'm not sure why the authorities in NO ignored it for soo long?? Once it is allowed to begin, it seems extremely difficult to stop...
posted on August 31, 2005 09:57:56 AM new
Helen says:
This is not an ordinary situation in which looters take advantage of an opportunity to take such items as TV's and jewlery.
You might be right. Lets see:
On New Orleans' Canal Street, dozens of looters ripped open the steel gates on clothing and jewelry stores and grabbed merchandise.
Okay, probably an isolated incident.
In Biloxi, Miss., people picked through casino slot machines for coins and ransacked other businesses.
Hmm, well maybe two isolated incidents.
New Orleans' homeland security chief, Terry Ebbert, said looters were breaking into stores all over town and stealing guns. He said there are gangs of armed men moving around the city.
Guns, food, whats the difference really?
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.
Okay, its five isolated incidents but really, who can blame anyone for looting jewelry?
"To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society," he said.
But he's probably not taking advantage of the situation for anything other than survival.
One man with an armload of clothes even asked a policeman, "can I borrow your car?"
And why not? When in survival mode, its always best to get your looted items home as quickly as possible.
Anyway, it doesn't look too good for Helen's original statement above which of course is why she followed up with:
I believe that media has directed too much emphasis on this issue
I, for one, have no doubt you believe that because otherwise your first sentence looks completely, umm, whats the word I'm looking for here? Anyone?
posted on August 31, 2005 10:38:49 AM new
"and why even the police were taking no action"
"Either Fox News or CNN reported the reason they couldn't stop all the looting was they didn't have enough police officers to deal with all the looters."
This is where the Louisiana National Guard would have been effective... oh, but wait... they and their equipment are in Iraq thanks to the dope head president who has yet to show up anywhere near this tragedy. Yep, GW could care less about those in need of assistance and leadership. If anything should face the wrath of looters, it should be the Crawford Ranch.
posted on August 31, 2005 10:41:15 AM new
LOL.....earth to helen....earth to helen....where have you gone? I'm sure you wouldn't be so rude as to ignore Red's post to you?
posted on August 31, 2005 11:00:03 AM newOfficials Helpless Against Looters
Aug 31 11:41 AM US/Eastern
By KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press Writer
NEW ORLEANS
Officials watched helplessly as looters around the city ransacked stores for food, clothing, appliances and guns.
"We don't like looters one bit, but first and foremost is search and rescue," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Wednesday.
In the city's Carrollton section, which is on relatively high ground, looters commandeered a forklift and used it to push up the storm shutters and break the glass of a Rite-Aid pharmacy. The crowd stormed the store, carrying out so much ice, water and food that it dropped from their arms as they ran. The street was littered with packages of ramen noodles and other items.
New Orleans' homeland security chief, Terry Ebbert, said looters were breaking into stores all over town and stealing guns. He said there are gangs of armed men moving around the city.
The Times-Picayune newspaper reported that the gun section at a new Wal-Mart in the Lower Garden District had been cleaned out by looters.
Gunshots were heard throughout the night in Carrollton.
Police spokesman Marlon Defilo said an officer and a looter were wounded in a shootout. Defilo had no word on their condition. Three or four others were also arrested, he said.
One looter shot and wounded a fellow looter, who was taken to a hospital and survived.
Staff members at Children's Hospital huddled with sick youngsters and waited in vain for help to arrive as looters tried to break through the locked door, Blanco spokeswoman Denise Bottcher told the newspaper. Neither the police nor the National Guard arrived. Authorities planned to send more than 70 additional officers and an armed personnel carrier into the city.
On New Orleans' Canal Street, dozens of looters ripped open the steel gates on clothing and jewelry stores and grabbed merchandise.
In Biloxi, Miss., people picked through casino slot machines for coins and ransacked other businesses. In some cases, the looting was in full view of police and National Guardsmen.
The historic French Quarter appeared to have been spared the worst flooding, but its stores were getting the worst of human nature. "The looting is out of control. The French Quarter has been attacked," Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson said. "We're using exhausted, scarce police to control looting when they should be used for search and rescue while we still have people on rooftops."
Sen. Mary Landrieu's helicopter was taking off Tuesday for a flyover of the devastation and she watched as a group of people smashed a window at a gas-station convenience store and jumped in.
At a drug store in the French Quarter, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.
posted on August 31, 2005 11:02:45 AM newthey and their equipment are in Iraq...
Yep, when all else fails, make sure to blame all on Iraq. Because, clearly, before Iraq there was never any wide-scale looting after a natural disaster.
Tell ya what though, feel free to continue the liberal mantra of blaming everything and everyone except those scumbags who are actually looting.
posted on August 31, 2005 11:14:30 AM new
Pure Chaos! But I dont blame the police officers for not doing much. They (all those residents there) have nothing! No home, no jobs to go to, ...nothing! Why should anything matter to them? Looting is not right by any means, but I bet the retailers had flood insurance and theft waivers - whereas 3/4ths of most of the poor people will not be able to rebuild what they did have.
- Did anybody see that story about the guy, his wife and two kids on a rooftop somewhere? They were holding on as the water came up and she slipped off? The husband said she just said "take care of the kids" to him. My husband was telling me about it this morning, but I didnt see or hear it. Apparantly she died because she couldnt swim, or the debris rushed her under??
If I lived in that town, I would just hitch a ride (if I had to) and be out of there. The longer you stay there .... I dont know. Its starting to sound like a bad horror/sci-fi movie.
.
[ edited by dblfugger9 on Aug 31, 2005 11:19 AM ]
posted on August 31, 2005 11:59:48 AM new
Dbl - I saw it - it was heartbreaking. He said his house was basically split in half when the water came thru and he was unable to hold on to her. I'm sure the video is on the web. I saw it on a couple different channels. You could here the emotion even in the interviewers voice.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on August 31, 2005 12:09:38 PM new
thanks fenix. I dont think I really want to see/read it. It gave me shivers and one of those invisible emotional punches just when my husband was relaying the story....as bad as the whole place is,but to be left with that as your last memory,,,
.
posted on August 31, 2005 12:12:06 PM new
Boy, some of you are real sympathetic.
These people have nothing. It has nothing to do with stealing. Like Helen said, they are in a survival mode and are grabbing anything and everything to give themselves hope and something tangible to hold on to.
DeSquirrel, where's your heart? It could be you standing in the place of one of these people. Do you think you'd be thinking straight after you saw your neighbourhood destroyed and your family gone and were left standing in the middle of nowhere with only the wet clothes on your back?
posted on August 31, 2005 12:24:54 PM new
So tragedy lets you become a thief? I don't think so.
But in your eyes, those that were to drive truck down and charge $10/gal of milk or $10 for formula would be justified in doing so?
posted on August 31, 2005 12:27:19 PM newthey are in a survival mode and are grabbing anything and everything to give themselves hope and something tangible to hold on
I am not unsypathetic to the plight of those who have lost everything. At the same time, the fact that there are many people using this tragedy as an excuse to steal items like jewelry, guns, beer, etc. should not be ignored.
posted on August 31, 2005 12:36:48 PM new
No Ronnie, a tragedy where you lose everything puts your mind in a different place. Sure there's going to be people who are just stealing because they can, but I feel the ones that have been most affected are doing it because they aren't thinking straight. How could they be?
posted on August 31, 2005 12:40:26 PM new
When something like this happens isn't it all written off as a loss and the insurance companies pay off on it and then whatever goods are in the stores are thrown in the dump by the owners?
Sure i can see trying to stop people from taking certain things like guns, money and other goods of high value like jewelry and artworks but taking shoes, tv's, food and other stuff to me just seems inconsequential.
posted on August 31, 2005 12:46:16 PM new
Oh, and the neocon rhetoric isn't there either? Come on now. I am sure some of you Republicans can figure out "cause and effect". Bush decided to move National Guard troops and equipment needed for homeland security to Iraq. If he hadn't started a damn war based on lies, then perhaps the National Guard would have more resources to deal with this problem. Sure, looters are a problem, but the lack of security is also the problem. Now we have thugs roaming the streets with stolen guns shooting police officers. Proof that Bush is yet again responsible for the loss of more lives because of his inadequate leadership. Don't you find it a bit discerning that we hear more from the governors of the states than the president? Did he have to get that last little bike ride in before he left for DC? Face it... the guy is a clown, and has absolutely no consideration for those who are suffering. He is more concerned with looking good than doing what is right, and now we see where that is getting him and his moronic followers.
posted on August 31, 2005 12:46:55 PM new
I say let them have it and afterall they are survivors of a really bad tragedy first before they were looters. I sure as helll wouldn't want to be in their situation but if i were i believe i'd be doing the same thing, knowing that it'a all just going to be dumped in the cleanup.
posted on August 31, 2005 12:48:42 PM new
Inconsequential?
So should there be a dollar limit of what you can steal? These people are no better than the ones that will start popping up with triple/quadruple prices on basic necessities.
posted on August 31, 2005 12:48:45 PM new
...and I will add that looting under any circumstances is simply not tolerable. So, you can put that in your neocon pipe and smoke it!
