No excuse for food or water. me as a father (just an exp) without thinking twice I would be looking for meal and water, but know all those ppl tryin to get tv's etc, they should burn in hell !!

my 0.02 cents

 

Survival is the most prominate of our instincts. If a closed buisness has food, water, dry cloths and I don't....well, I think this is a no-brainer concept here. I don't think I can agree with the whole "I'll pay the buisness back later" statement. At this point, for all we know that buisness might not make it back, let alone YOU getting back on your feet anytime soon. Insurance will cover the damages and the products inside so that wouldn't concern me.

I haven't watched the news too much today. I'm from just north of New Orleans and was having a sensory overload from 4 days worth of depressing news. I was aware of looting, it is to be expected, but not of tvs and jewelery and the like. That sucks but hear me out for a second.

I don't think that some of the above posters understand, nor do the looters of tvs, jewelry, etc, that monatary economics are out the window at this point. If someone offers you $1000 for your last case of clean drinkable bottled water for the forseeable future would you sell it? If your answer is yes, then why? It can't buy you more water or any goods because stores are closed or destroyed. Sure you have a large return on investment on your sale, but its only paper at this point. Its not going into your 401k or to make your life any better, the bottled water could have done that. As for the tvs and such, give me a break. Power won't be restored for months. It will have some water damage and probly won't work when power is restored. Whats left to do with it but use it to barter? Please, just like money being only green paper, the tvs, radios, PS2s, are just more items that are WORTHLESS and will end up in the same pile as the rest of the debris as clean up commences.

At this point water, food, and medical supplies are the new currancy.

One video clip that was shocking and that stayed with me was one that NOPD officers reported to looting at a Walgreens. They stopped it for only a short time so that THEY could grab some supplies and take them across town where they are needed. Upon leaving, one of the officers told the looters that he "couldn't tell them to continue, but they have to do what they can to survive." I would have said the same.

Sorry for the post length, just wanted to give another opinion to the ones presented. I just don't think that some comprehend the damage done and the long process of putting the pieces back together. A $10,000 plasma tv looted from a Wal-mart is the least of the problems plaguing the coast and is not even a blip on the radar on what the cost is in rebuilding.

Thanks to all those who donate or contribute help to this disaster.
--John

 

I was in Miami when Andrew hit. I was 10 days without water, electricity and food. And Looting never crossed my mind. Lotting is unexceptable in my opinion. We were lucky enough to get help. But we also saved water and food like it was recommended from the local officals and had just enough until help arrived. We ate and drank enough to get by. Maybe if some of these people would of left the areas that where going to be affected they wouldn't be put in the situation they are in now. It is sad how people are taking advantage of others.

 

What does the present condition of the SD have to do with them not having someplace to go. They did the superdome and now those people will be mvoed to a far safer place. There wasn't an excuse to stay behind unless you were mentally ill or an idiot.

 

Hopefully no one because its not that high its 192.

Your number is more than a little inflated. The highest its ever been is 421.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8999837/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050818/ap_on_...HNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Homicides hit their historic peak here in 1994, with 421 dead

 

you guys are hilarious...well at least some of the answers are...

the one where the guy said he would pay back walmart...after taking clothes and food...yeah right buddy i'm sure you would


the bottom line is this.....anyone who could get out probably did....the rich or mostly wealthy did get out....

the people from the ghetto didn't....just look at cnn, you think half those people make a decent income....those people that are stuck there are dirt poor.....they have nothing....they drive beat up old pos's....they probably don't have cable internet.....

you shouldn't ask yourself if you'd loot or not, cause no one on this forum would ever be in that situation....

i can't imagine someone making $80-100K a year, is out stealing tv's from walmart a day after a hurricane...

now imagine if you make $20K a year, live in a 1 bedroom apt and have nothing....would you go out and loot then??

i'm not trying to justify it, but why even bother comparing yourself to something you aren't, to make yourself look better? for example, like saying, i wouldn't be out there..."those people are trash cause they are looting"...

it's like no shiet

 

oh yeah and to say poverty is no excuse is bull...it's alot easier to say that when you have money...

i'm not defending the poor people, cause hey someone has to be poor, but don't say one thing, when you've never been in that situation...

 

Thats why in any emergency kit you always need a firearm. In my case a HK USP or a Remington 870. You never know if you will get jacked out of your supplies when the looters come around.

 

Its easy for some of you to say this. New Orleans is not a Miami, far from it. There are some nice areas of NO, but a lot of it is what Liberty City or Overtown is in Miami, and thats the average neighborhoods. The real bad ones are dirt poor. You would think its a third world country. Where were they supposed to go? Not everyone has the luxury of a car or even easy access to transportation.

I was in Miami during Andrew, we had no electricity, water, phone for almost two weeks. Looting never crossed our minds either because we had supplies but more importantly we had money to buy them. Those that are in NO right now looting for food, water and the basic essentials have no money and no supplies. They loot to survive. Can you really blame them or say that if you were in their shoes, you wouldn't do the same? I can't. Now those looting for TV's, cars and other shit, thats another story.

 

I think they weree supposed to go to the superdome on the free bus transportation provided by the city before the storm hit. At least they would be getting free meals and water and medical care instead of having to steal it.