Breaking News : 200 Ft breach + Looting out of control

[Jim Hughes]

Shoot looters on sight. They have enough to worry about

You have got to be kidding me? Your a moderator making comments like this. Would I be there? Hopefully not but we have no idea why people stayed there.

Many reporters have been talking about people rushing up to their vehicles asking about when FEMA/help is on the way. Thye need food water..etc..

How about this. You do not eat or drink fop the next 24-48 hours and go walk around out in the heat for all of this time and lets see what you end up doing. Especially if you have children or elderly parents with you.

What the hell is wrong with people these days.

Jim

[ROCK]

Likely, they were the people "left behind," too poor to drive or fly out. The rich people rolled out while the poor were left to scavenge for survival. In this situation, they are victims more than they are criminals.

Whatever their socio-economic status, I sincerely doubt that the majority of those people are looting for personal gain (at the grocery stores anyway) and I cannot fault them for doing it. They are reacting to their immediate and desperate situation in survival mode. I would probably do the same thing.

jewelry?? yeah they really need that to survive...its all about personal gain for some...

[Jim Cantore]

They should take the same approach as Mississipi Ruthless brutality on them

(singing) club club shoot shoot club club shoot shoot

[wlfpack81]

Shoot looters on sight. They have enough to worry about

Geez Looting may be wrong but you can't just go and shoot people on site. This isn't the wild wild west though I'm know those in certain parts of the country wish things were that way. There's a reason we have a police force.

For those stealing food I do have some sympathy with them as more than likely they barely had food before the storm as they were poor, and now they definitely need food. I'm not saying it's right but in this situation I can understand.

For those stealing non-food items they do need to be dealt with by the law. BUT NOT SHOT. I agree w/the other poster that I'm surprised to see this comment coming from a moderator. I may get suspened / banned for speaking my opinion but I don't care. You made yours, I just made mine.

[alicia-w]

The food would be gone due to rising flood waters anyway, so if someone who couldnt get out can use it, i dont see the problem. now the looting of souvenir stores and merchandise is something else. except maybe shoes. i wouldnt shoot someone for stealing food. not even if they were stealing it from my house.

[Jim Cantore]

My thing is it shouldnt get to the point where they resort to looting

They should give food away when things like this happen

People who loot non food items should be clubbed to a pulp

[repeatoffender]

seriously .. calm down people.

there is NO electricity, no water, contaminated flooding, hurricane just destroyed their lives..

they have no tv or internet or phones. they don't know what's going on. for all intents and purposes, they ahve been brutaly cut off from civilization and are probably losing their minds.

shooting them is ridiculous at best. nobody is going to kill anybody for looting in the USA in a situation like this. Get real.



its nice to judge people from a confortable home watching them on tv.. but take a step back and think about what they've been through. most of them COULD NOT LEAVE. Even still, maybe they arn't fortunate enough to have had the advance warning. maybe they were looking after others who couldn't leave.. who knows. judge not lest ye be judged, eh?

[no advance]

What I find is most of them are showing off for the camera. If I was the law I would be collecting these films of the looters and get these people later.

[Stormy1]

...its all about personal gain for some...

Indeed it is, and those people clearly have their priorities in the wrong place. However, I'm gonna play devil's advocate for a minute and say that there may be a smart cookie in the bunch who realizes that if things turn into a true doomsday scenario, trading that jewelry or a TV for food in the coming days is a distinct possibility.

There is no way to tell how bad things will get and how long they will stay that way. We can play armchair moralist all day long while we sit in our intact, dry, comfortable homes with the most current news being fed to us via multimedia. Unless faced with the same situation, we can only assume what is going through the minds of the people in NO.

[Recurve]

Please, no personal attacks, whatever your opinions are.

New posters should realize there are many longstanding respected members here who may have provocative political views, but we aren't looking to condemn people here. We need to share information and help in any way we can.

If you feel yourself boiling over, think of how all the affected people are suffering and having to control themselves.

Probably best too to avoid the political/sociological/religious posts at this bad time.

[Shinyhead]

I hate to unlurk to be such a pragmatist, but from the standpoint of those trying to maintain control the shooting of looters may actually end up being a nec. evil. Martial Law has been declared, which is really serious, civil rights do not need to be considered in enforcment. These people trying to help would rather not do such a harsh thing, but if a few get shot and thousands of potential looters go back to being law-abiding citizens, then there is a much greater chance that they will be able to rescue more people. The diversion of manpower from rescue efforts to enforcment will cost the innocent thier lives. In a triage sort of situation like this, that is how the decision has to be made. Simply thank heaven you are not in a position to have to make that life or death decision. A looter may be forcing someone to make that decision.

[Jim Hughes]

...its all about personal gain for some...

Indeed it is, and those people clearly have their priorities in the wrong place. However, I'm gonna play devil's advocate for a minute and say that there may be a smart cookie in the bunch who realizes that if things turn into a true doomsday scenario, trading that jewelry or a TV for food in the coming days is a distinct possibility.

There is no way to tell how bad things will get and how long they will stay that way. We can play armchair moralist all day long while we sit in our intact, dry, comfortable homes with the most current news being fed to us via multimedia. Unless faced with the same situation, we can only assume what is going through the minds of the people in NO.

This is exactly what came across my mind earlier. We have no idea how quickly the ATM's got wiped out of money. Someone may have plenty of money but they have no idea when and if they will ever get to it. Right or wrong this is going to be a dog eat dog world out there and someone may need to trade something for food or water. It's better to have them trade a looted valuable than to see some people get killed over food and water.

If things get bad that may happen. Do I think looting is right? No but I have no idea about the conditions of their loved ones. Some may be holding on by a thread now. I am not going to make any judements from here.


Jim

[HurriCat]

Shoot looters on sight. They have enough to worry about

You have got to be kidding me? Your a moderator making comments like this. Would I be there? Hopefully not but we have no idea why people stayed there.

Many reporters have been talking about people rushing up to their vehicles asking about when FEMA/help is on the way. Thye need food water..etc..

How about this. You do not eat or drink fop the next 24-48 hours and go walk around out in the heat for all of this time and lets see what you end up doing. Especially if you have children or elderly parents with you.

What the hell is wrong with people these days.

Jim

Yeah, the "shoot looters" post was out there. Where we part company is that these people were WARNED to get out of "Dodge" as it were. I don't want to hear the justifications for why someone who knowingly lives BELOW sea-level won't flee from an obvious threat. If they have "children or elderly parents" with them, then that is even more shameful and infuriating.

I just read about an electrician who was killed enroute to the area, intent on helping in the recovery. How many more good, intelligent folks will die trying to save people who should have known better? THAT is what the hell is wrong with people these days - too many are pig-headed and outright stupid. They get into a jam and then they and all of the "bleedin' hearts" cry for the smart, decent folks to risk life and limb to yank 'em - literally - out of the soup. It's getting tiresome - especially if all New Orleans and the other BELOW sea-level areas do is REBUILD and then sit there awaiting the NEXT storm which WILL come.

Nothing personal, but this has been building all day. (grrr! Had one left)

[ROCK]

Please, no personal attacks, whatever your opinions are.

New posters should realize there are many longstanding respected members here who may have provocative political views, but we aren't looking to condemn people here. We need to share information and help in any way we can.

If you feel yourself boiling over, think of how all the affected people are suffering and having to control themselves.

Probably best too to avoid the political/sociological/religious posts at this bad time.

What are you talking about? I dont see a conflict in this thread.....

[GalvestonDuck]

Just for the record -- Mods have feelings too. If you cut us, do we not bleed?...and all that jazz.

Opinions are always welcome.

[GalvestonDuck]

Please, no personal attacks, whatever your opinions are.

New posters should realize there are many longstanding respected members here who may have provocative political views, but we aren't looking to condemn people here. We need to share information and help in any way we can.

If you feel yourself boiling over, think of how all the affected people are suffering and having to control themselves.

Probably best too to avoid the political/sociological/religious posts at this bad time.

What are you talking about? I dont see a conflict in this thread.....

That's because a duck flew off with it.

[PTrackerLA]

Honestly I have no problem with the citizens stealing food, just realize what kind of situation they are in now. But the other stuff, no.

Just heard of the news that the water is STILL rising at 2 ft per hour in downtown.

[jasons2k]

What is the latest on the breach and the flooding? Thanks.

[Recurve]

Good move Duck.

Maybe we can start a rant forum for people who need to vent. Or send them over to OT.

[tndefender]

One thought I have been having seeing this looting is what would have happened if the storms effect had been worse? With the right "wobble" New Orleans might be experiencing a catastrophe. Then what to what levels would some people have sunk/risen?