Loss of Decency.....New Orleans

Discussion in 'ten-forward' started by Trekk, Aug 31, 2005.

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  1. Trekk

    Trekk Registered Member

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    I was listening to the news a few moments ago and they had some rather disturbing news. Its been reported that along with wide spread looting, people have taken to shooting others to secure a perimeter while looting. They indicated a group of people had placed a sniper on the roof of a building shooting people who approached a Jewelry store they were looting. If this isnt bad enough, it was reported a teenage girl had passed out in the area Walmart, and was trampled by people trying to get to the electronics department.

    After 911 you would think people could find some sort of decency towards each other, realize life is more valuable then a DVD player or other looted goods. Instead, people have taken this opportunity to further themselves financially. It was also reported that local merchants had been allowing residents free access to goods. What did they get for their trouble? Several of them were physically assualted for standing in the way of a dirtbags targeted loot.

    If after everything we have been through, we are still unable to find within ourselves even the slightest hint of civility, there is no hope for humanity as we know it. I realize I have only covered the negatives here, and that for every one bad deed, one hundred good deeds are performed, but I cant help but feel embarassed to be an American.


    Just my thoughts...


    Trekk
     
  2. Paranoid2000

    Paranoid2000 Registered Member

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  3. Trekk

    Trekk Registered Member

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    Agreed. My information was just one side of the story, but the two I wrote about have been confirmed.


    Other food for thought....Can you imagine how many people are using this opportunity to perform the perfect murder? Someone of less then acceptable morals could easily snuff out the life of a rival without ever being brought to justice. I cant begin to imagine what it must be like for those people, but I dont think anything justifies the level of disregard for human life being displayed in New Orleans by SOME people.

    Also, im not saying that looting food etc for the sake of survival is inexcusable, I am sure we would all do the same, instead I cant believe people would shoot a law enforcement officer for a couple pieces of jewelry.


    Trekk


    Trekk
     
  4. Close_Hauled

    Close_Hauled Registered Member

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    I was going to donate money to the Red Cross, like I did for New York. But when I saw the looting, I changed my mind.
     
  5. Trekk

    Trekk Registered Member

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    I will still donate, I'm just amazed how little it takes for people to stop caring about each other. If we dont donate, its not the bad people who suffer, its the good people who are just waiting for help.


    Trekk
     
  6. big ed

    big ed Registered Member

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    OMG...could it be that you are implying that our Tabloids (NY Times..Wash Post..Chi Herald..etc) and the Network News are tweaking events for a few more $$$?

    Aghast in Amarillo, big ed
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2005
  7. Trekk

    Trekk Registered Member

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    My information actually came from an off the path Media source. It wasnt any TV or Newspaper reporting agency. A National talk radio host, Glen Beck, had spoken to people who were in New Orleans.

    Trekk
     
  8. wildman

    wildman Registered Member

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    :eek: Trying to obtain food and water is one thing, but looting just to do it?

    Under marshal law, if I am not mistaken, looters can be shot. In the cases you have described they should be. That's my two cents worth. The military and police have much more pressing things to take care of than these scum. If they see it going on, I say instantly eliminate the problem "shoot um"!
    Thanks
    Wildman
    :mad:
     
  9. bigc73542

    bigc73542 Retired Moderator

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    My take is that all looters caught in the act should be shot and a tag left on them identifing them as looters. I am not really hard hearted but looters are in my books a little less than human. The only exception might be someone just getting a bottle of water or a bite to eat.
     
  10. Bubba

    Bubba Updates Team

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    Please reconsider :(

    Those folks with little regard for mankind are found on every corner of the Universe and is only a tiny group of individuals. Not to take lightly what New Orleans is experiencing....but this catastrophe is far reaching....East, West and North from the Coast. Please re-consider.
     
  11. Terryala

    Terryala Rest in Peace

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    New Orleans Cops Ordered to Stop Looters

    Published: 8/31/2005


    Mayor Ray Nagin ordered 1,500 police officers to leave their search-and-rescue mission Wednesday night and return to the streets to stop looting that has turned increasingly hostile as the city plunges deeper into chaos.

    "They are starting to get closer to heavily populated areas - hotels, hospitals, and we're going to stop it right now," Nagin said in a statement to The Associated Press.

    The number of officers called off the search-and-rescue mission amounts to virtually the entire police force in New Orleans.

    Amid the turmoil Wednesday, thieves commandeered a forklift and used it to push up the storm shutters and break the glass of a 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.

    Looters also chased down a state police truck full of food. The New Orleans police chief ran off looters while city officials themselves were commandeering equipment from a looted Office Depot. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.

    Managers at a nursing home were prepared to cope with the power outages and had enough food for days, but then the looting began. The home's bus driver was forced to surrender the vehicle to carjackers.

    Bands of people drove by the nursing home, shouting to residents, "Get out!" Eighty residents, most of them in wheelchairs, were being evacuated to other nursing homes in the state.

    "We had enough food for 10 days," said Peggy Hoffman, the home's executive director. "Now we'll have to equip our department heads with guns and teach them how to shoot."

    At one store, hordes of people from all ages, races and walks of life grabbed food and water. Some drove away with trunkloads of beer.

    At one point, two officers drew their guns on the looters, but the thieves left without incident. One of the officers said he was not going to arrest anyone for snatching up food and water.

    One young man was seen wading through chest-deep floodwater, carrying a case of soda, after looting a grocery store.

    "It's really difficult because my opinion of the looting is it started with people running out of food, and you can't really argue with that too much," Nagin said. "Then it escalated to this kind of mass chaos where people are taking electronic stuff and all that."

    Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she has asked the White House to send more people to help with evacuations and rescues, thereby freeing up National Guardsmen to stop looters.

    "We will restore law and order," Blanco said. "What angers me the most is that disasters like this often bring out the worst in people. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior."

    John Matessino, president of the Louisiana Hospital Association, said he had not heard of anyone breaking into the hospitals, but he added that thieves got into the parking garage at one hospital and were stealing car batteries and stereos.

    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. At one point, officers stranded on the roof of a hotel were fired at by criminals on the street.

    Authorities said an officer was shot in the head and a looter was wounded in a shootout. The officer and looter were expected to survive.

    ___

    Associated Press Writer Robert Tanner contributed to this
    report.

    http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editori...22&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ck=&ch=ne

    Grand Dad
     
  12. www

    www Guest

    Katrina made gumbo out or New Orleans!
     
  13. mercurie

    mercurie A Friendly Creature

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    Typical Constitutional Safe Guards are wavied. Military is allowed to take on law enforcement role.

    You certainly are correct Wildman and while I think extra care should be taken to prevent accidents. "Whoops, sorry I guess you really are not looting sorry I shot you," certainly needs to be avoided. I am with you Wildman, "..yep there is a looter for sure." BANG! Problem solved. ;)
     
  14. Meltdown

    Meltdown Registered Member

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    It's a situation where people will be panicking, afraid of running out of food and fresh water. Is it wrong of them to take what they need to survive?

    Of course, some of the theft will not only be for survival. But if you advocate shooting looters, that means you value private property more highly than human life.

    I assume you're talking about the looters, but I think those words apply more to the shoot-on-sight brigade.
     
  15. JRCATES

    JRCATES Registered Member

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    In a town 10 to 20 feet under water, with no running electricity for weeks, maybe months, and no homes to return to......I hardly think 4 pair of tennis shoes, color TVs, electronic and sporting equipment constitutes as "survival".

    I understand what you are saying, but it's called respect for the law, AND respect for other fellow human beings. This is truly a time of crisis for EVERYONE in that area....and the ones who are being "looted" from certainly don't deserve that....because they are in the exact same position as the looters themselves! I certainly don't advocate shooting looters on site, that is more than a little extreme. But at the same time, perhaps getting the word out any way possible that this IS a possibility will instill a little fear and deter looters from acting in such a selfish, hateful, and inconsiderate way towards others. In a natural disaster like this, basic survival should be first and foremost.....not "capitalizing" on others misfortune by stealing their stuff!
     
  16. mercurie

    mercurie A Friendly Creature

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    Meltdown,
    Law and order must be maintained. Marshall Law decisions are not made lightly. It is not a question of putting goods above human life. ;)
     
  17. Meltdown

    Meltdown Registered Member

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    Sure. The point is that petty crime doesn't warrant summary execution. If the looters themselves are using guns, that's a different story, but some people seemed to be saying that all looters should be shot.

    Incredible scenes of devastation... like the New Orleans mayor said, it's heartbreaking.
     
  18. Trekk

    Trekk Registered Member

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    Looting for food and water I can understand; but trampling a teenage girl to get first dibs on the Electronic Dept at Walmart is criminal. Allot of these people are just using this as an opportunity to obtain material items they otherwise couldnt afford. Those people SHOULD be shot, tagged, and hung upside down by the closest street sign.


    Trekk
     
  19. Starrob

    Starrob Registered Member

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    My opinion is that there are about to riots and severe violence in New Orleans.

    I just saw on CNBC earlier this morning that one woman was complaining about how the government could drop supplies to the people in Iraq during the war but they could not drop water and food for their own people.

    CNBC also reported that some of the "looters" have brought food and water to the convention center in order to feed the people who feel abandoned by the government.

    A CNBC reporter says he has been at the convention center (where everyone was told to go to be evacuated) and not even a person with a blow horn has come by to give them information.

    Right now, it is hot....people have worn the same clothes for days....people are hungry and thirsty and very soon base needs will take over. New Orleans has a lot of guns and some severe confrontations might take place if things are not done soon.

    I also seen on CNBC that some police have privately admitted to reporters of taking things from stores.....the situation there is quite bad.

    I think some people are going overboard. I heard yesterday that two people with AK-47's shot up a police precint.....that is uncalled for but I think the difference between a looter and a finder is a real grey area.

    It will be interesting to see how many people are actually prosecuted. I suspect only those committing violent acts will end up being prosecuted but we will see.



    Starrob
     
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