BLOGGING THE HURRICANE: Newspaper Office Damaged, Another Is Near Flood Zone…Return Here for Updates — This is what you get when nobdy teaches ethics anymore.
“Returning from a fact-finding expedition from the newspaper’s Howard Avenue headquarters, a group of reporters and photographers stumbled on a parade of looters streaming from Coleman’s Retail Store, located at 4001 Earhart Blvd., about two blocks away from The Times-Picayune offices.
“The looters, who were men and women who appeared to be in their early teens to mid-40s, braved a steady rain and infrequent tropical storm wind gusts to tote boxes of “clothing and shoes from the store. Some had garbage bags stuffed with goods. Others lugged wardrobe-sized boxes or carried them on their heads.
“The line going to and from the store along Earhart Boulevard numbered into the dozens and appeared to be growing.
“Some looters were seen smiling and greeting each other with pleasantries as they passed. Another group was seen riding in the back of a pickup truck, honking the horn and cheering. The scene also attracted a handful of curious bystanders, who left the safety of their homes to watch the heist.
“No police were present in the area, which is flooded heavily with standing water two to four feet deep on all sides of Earhart Blvd.”
The looters were probably the same folks stranded on their rooftops that police and rescue had so risk their own lives to save.
Yeah, you’d think stuff like “Thou shalt not steal” would be taught in schools nowadays…oh wait! It was banned for being unconstitutional, along with the associated axioms concerning murder, lying, adultery, and honoring parents. Looking at the current state of society, it makes a frightening amount of sense, don’t you think?
Justin, doofus.
“Don’t Steal” is NOT unconstitutional.
It’s the part that says “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” That makes the ten commandments a little sticky.
I don’t want my kid taught that she HAS to worship the God of Abraham. I want her to feel she has the freedom to worship whomever or whatever she chooses. She happens to choose to woship God through Jesus, and I am elated by that…but I don’t want her school, where I have no legal choice but to send her, to tell her she HAS to believe that.
These people control the Executive, the Legislative AND most of the Supreme Court and they’re acting like their rights are being TAKEN away.
Yeah, your right to force my child to listen to your missives ARE taken away, and rightly so.
Hey Justin,
How does not committing adultery stop looting? And is Mom and Dad are using you to tote their looted gains – well you have to right by your rules, right?
I mean if your dad rapes a 6 year old and tells you to do the same you must, right? because the Ten Big ones say “Honor you parents”, but not “don’t rape kids”.
I guess that explains why all those priests could rape kids with a good conscience – the big ten tell em its ok.
Anyone notice a parallel between how prepared our government was to stop looting in Baghdad — and, again, in New Orleans? I mean — are these thugs sharing lobbyists with the drug industry?
Amazing how a thread about looting has turned into another mind-numbing-go-nowhere political debate.
I’d be willing to bet that most of the looters where already criminal to begin with. They probably represent far less than one percent of the population of New Orleans.
Pillguy, you hit it the nail on the head. If you run for president, I’d vote for ya. Yeah, these dregs of society in New Orleans really shine when their brothers and sisters are in need. All I have to say is, “Love That Chicken from Popeyes!” Well wishes to the truly hurt in N.O.
Disgusted by the rest.
I am sure that most of you are WHITE, who made those comments.
If you were stranded in MS, LA, or AL with no food, clean water, electricity, dry clothes, or working cell phones WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
I would break into EVERY supermarket in the city to feed my children. Yes I sure would. I would take diapers and formula for my babies. I would take bottled water for my children. I would take whatever I could from the stores so that my children can LIVE. And I would take clean clothes because my family’s clothes have been washed away and destroyed by the hurricane. Think about it: these businesses all have insurance to replace everything that was destroyed by the hurricane, so WHO GIVES A DAMN if a few homeless people take food, water, and dry clothes JUST-TO-LIVE!!!
And guess what? They can’t steal medical care, so they’ll still die if they don’t get help.
How self-righteous can you people be? I call them SURVIVORS, not looters.
The looters (Survivors) represent more than 50% of the population of New Orleans I am certain.
Definition of ETHICS:
1. study of good and evil and moral duties 2. moral principles or practice
Definition of LOOT:
rob or take goods by force as in war
I hope they continue to loot (SURVIVE) until they get the help they need…
It’s time to throw political correctness out of the window. Who were these looters? Did anyone notice? I did…all but two of them I saw were black. Gangs of blacks, groups of blacks ones and twos, but black. The two white ones I saw were in police custody. Why were none of the blacks bothered by the cops? Perhaps we as a nation have become so afarid of the NAACP and the ACLU and the obvious strength in numbers these groups have, that we just look the other way as a matter of course. Looks to me like the problem is identified, now we just need to have the balls to come up with and implement a solution.
It’s one thing to steal food, diapers, etc. because they are hungry and they need these things for their kids. This isn’t evil, this is desperation. The ones that are stealing jewelry, clothing, furniture and so on are beyond evil, and should be shot on sight. I’m disappointed that the President didn’t declare Martial Law in his speech yesterday, as there is hardly any point for brave police officers to try to stop looting while carrying guns they apparently aren’t authorized to use with impunity.
To say that the argument is either religious or political is just ignorant. The argument is about ethics; about plain human common sense and decency. It is also about human character, and lack thereof; courage in the face of adversity versus selfish, mind-numbing cowardice.
I have always been impressed how Americans come together in a crisis. The San Fran. earthquakes, 9/11, Pearl harbour all the way back to the great Chicago fire. Americans have always come together when the chips are down.
It saddens me to see the looting in New Orleans. I can understand breaking into stores to obtain the necessities for survival. I’m sure the police and national guard would agree. If folks are taking Shelters like tents and tarps, water, food, medical supplies. I think authorities would be relieved to see able bodied citizens doing their best to bide their time and surviving on their own until more help can arrive. What do Nikes, NFL Jerseys and jewlery have to do with survival? Now resources that should be deployed for the rescue of people in real need are being used to chase down looters. Who cares what race they are. How have we become so insanely stupid.
hehe
you Americans are funny
In most places when disaster strikes the community pulls together, people help one another…
In the world’s great capitalist consumer society, disaster strikes and all people can think about is getting down to Walmart to take advantage of the specials..
laughable.. perhaps you’ll begin to see why the rest of us aren’t clamouring to become more like the US
Exactly Scott, the looters needing food is totally understandable. But manpower to rescue is now being redirected for saftey and security. I have read a lot of police and fireman are being shot at as they try to help rape victims, elderly, and people trapped in burning buildings. The looters say they are getting back at the “oppression” they have recieved from society. I say lay the criminals to rest and put them in a specific pile called “Looters”.
I can’t believe this check out the other looting stuff on Looting New Orleans
Black from the south
Agree with all your comments…but what’s with all the people stealing usless items….big screen tv’…rack of shoes.
I know it’s the minority…the crazies as always, but just doesn’t make any sense carrying off big screen tv’s
these ppl just taking advantage of this hurricane shyt so it makes sense why they’re doing this thats all shyt why let that go 2 waste if it was me i would have got ammuniton first then food,water,clothes then went buck wild taking whutever else let some shyt like that happen in chicago you definitely gone see me with my mossberg pump running the streets
My condolences goes out to the victims. The instance of the crime and violence must be making matters much worse. What im surprised that people are forgetting, is that new-orleans has a high rate of crime anyhow. This includes drugs abuse, sexual and violent crime. It is therefore reasonable to assume that some level of crime is occuring in the affected areas, which could either be more or less than currently reported. Probably a mix of survival, fear and criminality…. it must be hell to be there!
The victims of katrina should therefore be on their guard. I would!
The govt. should have acted sooner, and should be doing more now. Im sure that the fact New Orleans is a Southern State and has a high black population has alot to do with it!
Opinionated Voice
http://opinionated.blogsome.com/
Opinionated Voice
Black From The South,
You are wrong. There is no justification for stealing or looting, even survival. You said that you would do that and that you condone those that are doing it. I am very sorry for you and those that see things your way. But for all of you there are many more that would not.
I’m not preaching to you. I am telling you the facts. I am one of those that did not take the easy way out . I am writing this from ground zero in Bay Saint Louis, MS. We may never recover here while New Orleans will rise again. But what will survive here will be stronger than before. My family of six will rebuild, we will go back to work, we will return to school and we will make a new life and a new world. And we will do it without having to take something that wasn’t offered or ours to begin with.
You say you would loot just like the rest and yet you have absolutely no idea what those people went through. Their decision was the easy one with perilous consequences. They are morally and ethically bankrupt. So many others found another way and are making it through this horrible event without the further humiliation of being a criminal.
It’s a little past due but I just found the site about the looters in New Orleans. I ask, why didn’t these folks even try to get out of town on their own. My guess is they were waiting for someone else to come get them. Most were probably on some type of government assistance and probably were 3rd generation, at least, to be taken care of by the government. I worked for 2 state agencies in Texas. I was frustrated in my first job how these people appeared to be very able bodied but would not work. When I went to a different agency (Rehabilitation) I saw many of the same folks I saw at the welfare agency. Still not working. I offered to help them but they would not take my help. I don’t know how they survived but it was probably from something illegal. The Katrina suvivors/looters don’t know how to provide for themselves because they have been provided for, all of their lives. I always said the hardest thing they had to do was to get up from their couches on the first of the month and go get their government checks. It makes me sick to see and hear the attitudes of some of these people. They said they were “entitled”. Entitled to what? Get off your lazy butt and go to work, doing something. I have worked everyday since I got my SS card at age 14. I’ll close because I get more upset when I view these 2 year old pictures of the looters in New Orleans. One more thing, we had many of the people who had lived in NO to come to my city. Most still would not take jobs even though they were offered to them. The TV film crews filmed many just sitting in their front yards of the apartment complex where they lived for “free”. I saw them refusing job offers even with the TV crews filming them. Makes me ill.