OT: Lootings, Carjackings, and shootings in New Orleans

[sportdan30]

C'mon people! I understand that they have just gone through an absolutely catastrophic event I'll never ever begin to imagine, but the citizens of New Orleans should be pulling together at this time. Honestly, I can almost understand the lootings as many people have lost everything and they most probably need supplies immediately instead of standing in line waiting for them. Plus, I'm sure there is a lot of built up frusturation and anger but I'm just very surprised at the aggression some (not all) citizens are taking.

It's wrong.

[tjung0831]

C'mon people! I understand that they have just gone through an absolutely catastrophic event I'll never ever begin to imagine, but the citizens of New Orleans should be pulling together at this time. Honestly, I can almost understand the lootings as many people have lost everything and they most probably need supplies immediately instead of standing in line waiting for them. Plus, I'm sure there is a lot of built up frusturation and anger but I'm just very surprised at the aggression some (not all) citizens are taking.

It's wrong.

Dan,

I was just getting ready to post this. Those people looting should be f***in shot on the spot. I read an article today where they interviewed a guy who had looted and blamed it on the fact that "his people have been oppressed for years and this is payback to society" Can you believe that s***.
You just knew this looting was going to happen. If you need food and you're hungry i can almost understand it but when you see people walking out with clothes and electronics....they should be f***in shot.

[blueduke]

Agreed. If this goes unabated anarchy is the next event

[pk500]

Martial law should be declared. It definitely fits the situation down there.

Take care,
PK

[spooky157]

I can't condone the looting at all. They're just victimizing people in their community who've suffered just as much as they have. Can't say I'm suprised though. After hearing about all the phony charities that were set up after 9/11 nothing surprises me about these crooks.

[pk500]

I don't think these crooks are con artists like those who set up phony post-9/11 charities. I think they're just everyday citizens in New Orleans.

As others have said, I don't condone but I can see why desperation and frustration would lead one to loot a grocery store for basic food, water and clothing.

But ripping off stereos and TV's? Come on.

Take care,
PK

[mobiggins]

I believe martial law is in effect. My impression is that most of the city is just too impassable to enforce it very well.
The whole situation is unbelievable. New Orleans was never the best-run city in the country, and this is simply more than anyone would have ever expected.

[pk500]

Good point, Mo. Foot and police cruiser chases are out of the question now, and I don't think the police want to unload their revolvers or rifles at every person looting.

Take care,
PK

[Jackdog]

Damn it's like the movie "Escape From New York".

Since when is robbing the Nike store a key to survival? This is why if you don't own a gun,you should rethink that decision. f***in scum.

[Arkin710]

As wonderful a city as New Orleans is, the crime (and the lack of a real healthy business community) has always been its number one problem. The crime problem in normal times can be vicious. The city is racially split, has real poverty problems, and many of the poorest live in housing projects that are scattered throughout the city. People describe it as a checkerboard city -- where one block is good, and the next is somewhere you would not want to be. One of the places I used to live in New Orleans was just like that -- a nice apartment, but it was a block or two away from a real poor neighborhood. The murders in New Orleans are typically pretty vicious. So take away the normal societal structure, the lack of food, and the oncoming rising floodwaters, and it is no surprise that the poorest people are on a rampage. It is still hard to believe, as many of the places they are looting are uptown in what would be considered a nicer part of town. Or out in Metairie, where people are busting into abandoned homes.

[TheHiddenTrack]

People do crazy things when crazy things happen.

[laurenskye]

Damn it's like the movie "Escape From New York".

Since when is robbing the Nike store a key to survival? This is why if you don't own a gun,you should rethink that decision. f***in scum.

No s***! This has very little to do with survival. Everything I saw was people loading up on clothes, jewelry and electronics. A cop got shot in the head. It's anarchy.

Why don't they use boats? They new it was going to be like this a week ago. Seems like they would have gathered a shitload of boats to keep the peace and rescue people.

[AcemanPR]

I understand these people wanted to take food, water, and some clothing, but what the hell are they going to do with the electronics they are taking?

[johnvon314]

Dumb question, but where in the world would you take a large screen TV in New Orleans? Its not like you can hook it up at home or sell it at the corner flea market.

John

[pk500]

Dumb question, but where in the world would you take a large screen TV in New Orleans? Its not like you can hook it up at home or sell it at the corner flea market.

John

I think the sole remaining open business on high ground in New Orleans is an eBay outpost, hence the rush to loot for electronics and jewelry.

Gallows humor, sorry. Seriously, you raise a damn good point, John.

Welcome to DSP. Don't be a stranger!

Take care,
PK

[Spooky]

Poverty does interesting things to people.

[brendanrfoley]

Why don't they use boats? They new it was going to be like this a week ago. Seems like they would have gathered a shitload of boats to keep the peace and rescue people.

I don't condone looting. But I can understand a little bit of disorganization in the face of this storm.

Friday night, Katrina was a Category 1 storm with a track that would have taken it north through Flordia. Saturday afternoon, it was a monster that was shaping up to be one of the worst storms in US history.

This storm caught everybody off guard, and we're seeing the results of that.

[kicko]

poor people need to realize one thing, people that have nice items didn't wait for a storm to come by so they can loot for it, they worked for theirs. The funny thing is that when this is all said and done the honest people will have to rebuild and work everything back to normal, while the looters will be watching Monday night football on a 56" high-def. All that is needed in times like this is food and water not sony. sorry i get burned on stories like this.

i wanted to know if your store was destroyed by the storm or if you store was fine from the stoe but looters destroyed it, is there a difference in any amount insurance would pay for either way?

[Sport73]

But ripping off stereos and TV's? Come on.

PK

Let them take the electronics. Sons of bitches will learn quickly that those things don't work after being submerged in water. Have fun lugging around your busted, stolen TV's numbnuts...

[NoJoke]

As wonderful a city as New Orleans is, the crime (and the lack of a real healthy business community) has always been its number one problem. The crime problem in normal times can be vicious. The city is racially split, has real poverty problems, and many of the poorest live in housing projects that are scattered throughout the city. People describe it as a checkerboard city -- where one block is good, and the next is somewhere you would not want to be. One of the places I used to live in New Orleans was just like that -- a nice apartment, but it was a block or two away from a real poor neighborhood. The murders in New Orleans are typically pretty vicious. So take away the normal societal structure, the lack of food, and the oncoming rising floodwaters, and it is no surprise that the poorest people are on a rampage. It is still hard to believe, as many of the places they are looting are uptown in what would be considered a nicer part of town. Or out in Metairie, where people are busting into abandoned homes.

I lived in NO for four years, and you are exactly right in your description of the city. Because of the way the city is set up, some of the violence is so mindnumbing because it can hit anywhere, anytime, and not because you wandered into the wrong part of town. Super nice blocks are adjacent to poorer areas. The city is very split racially and it creates a tremendous tension there (I believe white people are the minority within the city limits).

That said, there is no excuse for what you see on the television. It is just sad. I feel bad for those who will be fortunate enough to have a home to still return to, only to find that they have been victimized by thieves.

Joe

[sportdan30]

It's only fair to say that it just wasn't New Orleans that was hit with looters. In Mississippi, looters boarded the all but destroyed casino boats and filled up bags with coins from the slot machines.

Nothing ceases to amaze me.

[wco81]

You know, there's an emotional response to these images. Looting happned during blackouts, the Watts riots, the King riots, etc. It shouldn't really be that surprising, that some people will take advantage of situations like this.

They were talking about how much grain is processed through this region, in addition to the oil and gas. Then seafood and other commodity prices which should be affected by this. And all the insurance claims which will have to be paid.

In the grand scheme of things, losses from looting will be chicken feed compared to the total losses from this catastrophe, for which we'll all have to pay in higher commodity prices, higher insurance, etc.

That's not to say looting is justified but maybe we shouldn't spend so much emotional energy over this? Enron, AIG and other corporate scandals pack much greater economic wallops but you don't see governors saing on TV that the perpetrators will be severely dealt with, the same way they're talking about looters these days.

If you look at civil turmoil because of disparities of wealth in the past, a few episodes of looting is nothing compared to revolutions, reigns of terror and civil wars.

[Spooky]

You know, there's an emotional response to these images. Looting happned during blackouts, the Watts riots, the King riots, etc. It shouldn't really be that surprising, that some people will take advantage of situations like this.

They were talking about how much grain is processed through this region, in addition to the oil and gas. Then seafood and other commodity prices which should be affected by this. And all the insurance claims which will have to be paid.

In the grand scheme of things, losses from looting will be chicken feed compared to the total losses from this catastrophe, for which we'll all have to pay in higher commodity prices, higher insurance, etc.

That's not to say looting is justified but maybe we shouldn't spend so much emotional energy over this? Enron, AIG and other corporate scandals pack much greater economic wallops but you don't see governors saing on TV that the perpetrators will be severely dealt with, the same way they're talking about looters these days.

If you look at civil turmoil because of disparities of wealth in the past, a few episodes of looting is nothing compared to revolutions, reigns of terror and civil wars.

Well, looting is much more of a moral dilemma than an economical one so that is why people might be a bit more emotional about it. It does not effect the economy as much as the other factors you mentioned, but the choice to loot is something that people have control over, unlike a natural disater.

[wco81]

Ken Lay also had a choice not to commit a crime. But he still has millions in assets while many suffered losses because of what he did.

Same could be said for Hank Greenburg and the heads of companies like Marsh and McLennan, not to mention all those Wall Street firms which gave favorable after-hours trading privileges to big clients.

Nobody is calling for these guys, who caused much greater losses than looters, to be shot the way some people are calling for looters to be shot on the spot.

[Dave]

wco, I agree with your point--some of the white collar crime going on these days is about as dispicable as it gets.

My thoughts on why people get more fired up about the looters have to with the fact that we see the looters doing their dirty deeds, plain as day on TV. It is much easier to have an emotional response when you can see Johnny Dirtbag carrying a trash bag full of electronics in one hand and his sagging pants in the other.

Factor in the immense amount of sympathy for those in the area, and watching people take advantage of the bad situation sits that much worse.

Now, if there were cameras following around that d*****bag Lay as he committed his crimes, people would have gotten angrier, I would imagine.