Who among you WOULDN'T loot if you found yourself in similar circumstances

[CatWoman]

as the people in New Orleans?

What purpose does all of the looting threads serve?

As Celine Dion said, "So what??!! People are dying"!!!!!!

I didn't see anyone offering those poor souls a pair of shoes, or a loaf of bread.

[Mythsaje]

1. You're kidding, right?

I'm a role-playing gamer! We're trained to loot! You do what you have to do to enhance your survival chances.

Anyone who doesn't is too stupid to survive.

[Solly Mack]

2. I'd loot and survive in spite of the assholes in the world

[mike_c]

3. not me-- I would proudly die of thirst before I'd...

...take water that is the rightful property of an American corporation. Property is sacred, after all. :sarcasm:

[Cha]

23. Remember, "ZERO TOLERANCE

FOR LOOTERS"! :scared: :sarcasm:

[Tyranny_R_US]

4. I wouldnt I'd rather starve to death than steal

:sarcasm:

[belle]

5. Not me. I mean, I'd loot. Although I'd probably skip the electronics

and go straight for the food, clothes, medicine, and, if possible, transportation...

[mzmolly]

6. Joe Scarborough said the same thing. It was about survival.

PERIOD.

[ohio_liberal]

7. I'd go straight for the beer

Probably some prescription drugs too :hi:

Self-medication is not always a bad thing

[RBHam]

8. I would have done ANYTHING to save my family.

Just try me.

[libhill]

70. Join the club

I'd do what I have to to take care of family and friends - property be damned.

[randr]

9. Not only would I loot but if my child went for a day without water

because of someones incompetency I would need to be held back.

[Mob Mama]

10. Why wouldn't you?

if it were dire enough?

Would I swipe a box of cheerios or a pack of pampers for my kids if I were in their situation? Damn straight I would. What other choice do they have - starve to death?!

[mongo]

11. I don't know

I think that I would try to get people together, and try to turn the store and the parking lot into a makeshift shelter.

But that would most likely be pointless in the times we live in, so I would go in and get what I needed before the store was empty.

[ret5hd]

12. there are some here that NEED to be in NO...

because, judging by their posts, they walk on water. Now, how handy would THAT be?

Personally, (i have said it before and i'll say it again) i believe there are paid agit-props here, paid to do nothing more than raise controversy and discontent. It wouldn't take more than a half-dozen people, multiple dial-up connections (for multiple ip addys), multiple DU registrations, and a few computers. Less than a million a year, probably about half that. Small change to keep the most effective board on the left preoccupied with in-fightng and bickering.

[tnlefty]

33. *snarf*, and Bush** parted the water on Fri and the rescues began!

And my 12 yr. old was disgusted with the coverage of the looting on Wed. (IIRC) and he yelled, "they're only trying to survive." We had a long conversation after that.

[karlrschneider]

13. I would NEVER EVER loot!...........but I might find some stuff

:eyes:

[Solly Mack]

15. snap!

[supernova]

16. Bitter laugh

Isn't that the truth.

[supernova]

22. In the same circumstance

yes, I probably would. And truthfully, I'd do it precisely because I had a family or others who relied on me. For instance, I wouldn't let a kid go hungry or thirsty. I'd try to keep an elderly relative out of the heat (ha!) as best I could.

If I were alone, same as I am now, I'd try mostly for water and whatever clothing I needed. Food, not so important.

[RBHam]

17. You must be white.

I too would be a finder.

While some traumatized Iraqi veteran accidentally blows away a black kid wearing a doo-rag. "My God! A raghead!"

Maybe they're trying to also instigate a race war.

[CanOfWhoopAss]

24. To keep my family safe?? DITTO!!

[CatWoman]

28. Hey Karl

:hi:

been on Yahoo lately?

[karlrschneider]

38. Not much. It raises my blood pressure too much!

:banghead:

[CatWoman]

40. same here

the usual suspects are still at it.

I'm convinced those people are being paid by the RNC.

[jpgray]

14. I don't know for sure what I would do (nt)

[ret5hd]

19. i think a couple days without food or water would clarify your thinking.

[jpgray]

29. That's what it is--I couldn't predict my behavior in those circumstances

Certainly if I were hungry and thirsty I would take food and drink. But I'm not sure that I could say I wouldn't partake in the less justifiable looting, such as taking TV sets &c. if others were doing it and I was dirt poor. The situation is just too outside of my experience for me to say with any assurance what my behavior would be.

[ret5hd]

50. thanks for a thoughful reply to my somewhat snarky reply to you...

you obviously gave the situation more thought than i gave you credit for.

[jpgray]

58. No worries--we're all a little on edge (nt)

[Pharlo]

76. Well, if you learned nothing else from this debacle,

I hope you at least learned that waiting for the US Federal govt is not going to help you.

And, if it eases your conscience, do what several people interviewed did - They said they took only what they needed for their families - food, water, shoes, and left notes at the stores with their names and addresses where the owners could contact them when things settled down.

As far as I'm concerned, holding survival "looters" responsible for trying to survive is the same as saying its the store owners fault for not being open for business. Because, the truth is, I don't believe many of these people would have taken items from the stores freely if they had been able to purchase what they needed.

[SeattleGirl]

18. Of course I would

Beats the hell out of sitting (or swimming) like a good little girl as me and mine starve to death!

However, since I'm white, I would only be "finding" things, right? And I might even "find" some things for those dark skinned people.

:evilgrin:

[xray s]

20. Read Left Behind

That's all the good fundie zombies do. Loot food, water, guns and cars.

[distantearlywarning]

26. No. See post #13 above.

Everybody knows that good fundie zombies are white. Therefore....they FIND that stuff!

[Aunt Anti-bush]

21. I am the least likely to EVER steal...

But in that situation, I'd be taking anything and everything I could get my hands on. I'd probably even take a tv or something with the hope that maybe I could trade it for a piece of crap car or something.

NO ONE can say they wouldn't loot in that situation. There is nothing left for those people. No home to go to, no food to eat and no friggin water. No one came to help them.

I'm the type of person who picks up OTHER PEOPLE's litter because I feel guilty that it's on the ground. I'm the type who can't lie even if it's to save my own ass. I'm certainly NOT the type to take any thing that doesn't belong to me, but damn right, if I was down there, I'd loose my mind along with most of my morals to fend for myself and my family!

[Obamanaut]

25. I'd aggravate people until they voted me off the island to safety...

or else take anything useful I could get my hands on that I was capable of carrying off.:dilemma:

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

27. I'd grab whatever I needed...

And some to give to other people too. I don't care what they call it, "looting," whatever. If you need to eat, you need to eat. Damn the fool who comes between me and the needs of my family.

[U4ikLefty]

30. Not me...I'm white & my shit-don't-stink!!!

And why those poor black folks didn't drive their Hummers out of town behooves me...looks like they were looking to take MY STUFF!!! :sarcasm:

[StellaBlue]

31. IT'S NOT LOOTING

Period. What the huge majority of those people are doing (taking food, diapers, etc.) IS NOT LOOTING.

Taking TVs, maybe. But, still, under the circumstances - who CARES?!

They don't have a HOUSE - let them have a f*cking TV for godsakes!

[HEyHEY]

32. I'd take food and stuff like that

TV's and Stereos.... not so much. Though the way they were left to die while the Rich folk drank martinis and watched it on the news from far away.. I don't blame them

[neoteric lefty]

34. Laura Ingrahm said we should shoot the looters

on sight. Zero tolerance is the answer for taking some bread, water or a pair of shoes. :sarcasm:

[KayLaw]

39. Tha'ts just evil

I'd love to ask someone like her to step outside right about now.

[NorthernSpy]

61. when she was diagnosed with breast cancer...

... I did not post anything about not caring whether she dies.

But other people did. And they got bashed for it.

[VPStoltz]

75. Then let her get her piece out and go after Kenny Boy and that bunch.

[Tatiana]

35. I'm sorry, but Kanye was only partially right.

George Bush hates black people and so does a segment of America.

A friend of mine, a grad student at Southern, made it out of NOLA along with another friend on foot. They walked through the swamp, through snakes, gators, and rats. They told their harrowing tale to our local news. As they were walking towards Baton Rouge, they heard gunfire and saw flashes. They said they shone their flashlight (it was nighttime and pitch black) in the direction of the gunfire and shouted that they were survivors just trying to make it out. They tried to continue and there was another shot. They stopped and shone the flashlight around and saw they were headed for a dangerous (and possibly fatal) drop into alligator-infested water.

They had to backtrack and walk around. But if that person, whoever it was hadn't fired those shots, I don't know if they would be alive today. I'm not judging anybody. I'm convinced some of those shots were warnings and some of them may have been trying to attract rescue personnel.

There are ignorant folks all around. As Nagin said, when you have a criminal drug-pushing element running through an area, lawlessness is what you get. But everywhere I turn, I see the MSM and even people here trying to slap a black face on the "looting" and lawlessness. That's wrong and it makes me wonder what some of those same people would do if they were trapped in a flooded city with no water, food, sanitation, or communication. Would they do whatever was necessary to secure what they needed to survive?

[Catchawave]

36. I wouldn't loot, I would commandeer my items.....

for survival. At least that what the rich people did when before they were rescued from the Ritz-Carlton.

[chelsea0011]

37. I had this discussion with my wife the first time I heard of the food find

I told her I would be out there in a flash if I needed food and water for myself and family. No-brainer. i also lived in NYC in 1977. Now that was looting. Lights out..let's clean up before they come on. No reason for it.

[Yupster]

65. I was there in NYC too

some neighborhoods completely looted, others not a whisper of a problem. I went swimming in a friend's pool. The men of the neighborhood stood in the street talking till very late. Don't know if they were proitecting or just chatting.

Interesting how some neighborhoods went wild and others just a few blocks away were calm as could be.

[shanti]

41. i can't say that i wouldn't either

but for the grace of god...

[Hell Hath No Fury]

42. If keeping my family alive...

meant breaking into a grocery store, a pharmacy, or a department store, I would not hesitate to do it. I would only take what I needed and I hope I would get the chance to pay for it all at a later time. Also,I would never steal from someone who had their own stash.

But I wouldn't give it a second thought -- I'd be breaking windows in a heartbeat.

[Nikia]

43. Only if I were truly in need

Many of the lotters of food, non alcoholic beverages, and baby supplies were truly in need.
On the other hand, in our kitchen we currently have a couple of 24 packs of soda and almost as much bottled water. We have a huge almost full bag of dog food. We have boxes of cereal, cans of soups, bags of chips, and other stuff.
If our home were intact and we could get get our food, even without power or fresh water, there would be no reason to loot, other than personal gain. We would be alright, food and drink wise for a while. I wouldn't loot. I don't care what other people are doing. I don't care how angry I am or who I am angry at.

[lpbk2713]

44. If I felt it was a matter of survival.... you'd better not stand in my way

Some of those people who were branded as "looters" probably waited for days having faith in the powers that be that their needs would be met. They had no idea they were being sold out by their president. So when they finally did venture out to find what they could use they probably felt guilty about it, still not knowing they were in the hands of an incompetent leader.

[NoBushSpokenHere]

45. About the gun stealing

Think about it -

You have lost your home, and have no food, water, etc.

You loot for food, water, diapers, etc.......

Supplies become scarce......

How are you going to protect your family, food, water, etc....

You would probably steal a gun and shells.


The TV's?

Well, have you ever been through a power outage or disaster?

You don't know how bad things are outside your immediate environment without hearing news. You lost your TV, radio, etc., to the flooding. You found refuge in a convention center or warehouse, or somewhere. You hear rumors the power may be restored soon.....wouldn't it be nice to have a tv to find out how long you are going to have to stay in a hell hole?

I can't fathom any other reason to have stole the tv's than that......where were they going to take them if the reason was for monetary gain? They LOST THEIR HOMES, cars, etc.......so tell me, were the tv stealers taking them for a bad purpose or a good one. Don't be so quick to judge.

[Tatiana]

48. EXACTLY!

No one stops to ask WHY these people took the things they did.

If someone was trying to attract attention for rescue, what would be a surefire way to get it? A gunshot!

And where exactly to they think the people were taking the TVs to? They had no homes. There was no electricity. They couldn't move them out of the state because obviously they couldn't move evacuate themselves!

[Splatter Phoenix]

51. Yeah.

I mean, seriously...how many stores in NO sell flares on a regular basis? Gunshots are the next best thing, easier to control than fires, etc....

And these people are desperate.

[MercutioATC]

74. Step AWAY from the thorazine...

The friggin' power's out. How does stealing a TV help people "find out how long you are going to have to stay in a hell hole"?


A small segment of the NOLA society who were in the city after the hurricane CHOSE to steal electronics. They had absolutely NO use for them as survival tools.


I'm no MacGyver, but I'll bet if I was still alive after the water started to recede I could find a way to get myself and my family a few miles north. That would be my first priority. If I was the type of person who thought that guns would enhance my safety, I'd already own one.

Stealing guns should be viewed the same way as stealing electronics...theft.

[terip64]

46. And remember 9/11 people giving shoes away?

[VOX]

47. I'm white, so my media-pic caption would say I was "finding" supplies...

But I sure as hell would be "finding" those essentials for my family like one inspired SOB. And I'd certainly share my "findings" with any person in desperate need.

After some gains made in the 1960s and 70s toward improving the lot of African Americans, who have historically been denied full partnership in their own country, the U.S. continues to turn its back.

I am heartsick at how incredibly backward this country still is.

[Pithy Cherub]

49. Hell Yeah! And then I would use my now professional looting skills

to help others who were not able.

:applause: To the guy on (CNN, I think) who looted a drug store and had formula and drinks and was walking down the street pushing a cart and gave it away to those in need. He was an elderly black man who was helping others survive - but he found the stuff MOST NEEDED first!

[Splatter Phoenix]

52. Fuck yes I would loot.

Though I am white, and so I would "Find".

However...

This brings up an interesting question--the rape.

Are blacks "raping" and whites "ensuring the existence of the next generation of New Orleans' citizens"?

[Pool Hall Ace]

53. Hell yes, I'd loot. Not only would I take stuff I needed, but I'd take

stuff that my stranded neighbors needed, too.

Of course since I'm White, I'd be "finding" things. :eyes:

[Kerrytravelers]

54. Well, according to the news, I'd find stuff, because I'm white.

:sarcasm:



Welcome to shrub's amerikkka.

[Mr_Spock]

55. I would get what I needed in a heartbeat.

I grew up in the inner city and I know the rules of survival there. If you don't do it, somebody else will. You will die and they will survive - good person or not.

[philosophie_en_rose]

56. The Far Lesser of Two Evils.

Not only would I take whatever I (or my family, friends, pets, or fellow citizens around me) needed to survive, I'd steal whatever made us comfortable.

I'd take shoes and blankets and books, as well as food. In fact, I'd load up some shopping carts and take stuff around to give away. If I was physically able, I'd have nothing better to do than to disperse things that are otherwise wasted. I'd shout at others to let them know where stuff is. I'd gang up with the local officials that have to post armed guards to keep the feds from cutting off emergency communications. Whatever it took.

Our lives are worth more than things. In other circumstances, I'd never steal. However, a choice between theft and death is very easy to make.

[JanMichael]

57. I would steal whatever it took for me to survive; food, clothing or

a gun.

Whatever it took---

Stephanie

[applegrove]

59. The people who didn't loot are lying in beds in their homes - dying.

They have found whole families dying. For lack of water.

[expatriate]

60. I hope my son, if he's still alive, DID loot!

He's an insulin dependent diabetic - and a brittle diabetic at that. If he lost his insulin vials in the storm or the flooding, he would not live long.

Do I think he shouldn't kick in the window of a drugstore and get some insulin and syringes in a flooded city where no-one is helping, where there is no food or water or medical help forthcoming?

Fuck that for a game of soldiers - and anyone who wants to be so pure and holy and believe they would never touch anything that wasn't theirs - may they someday be tested by such a situation.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

68. You still haven't heard anything?

[Quixote1818]

62. The looted material will mostly be covered by Insurance companies

In a nut shell tax payers and those who have insurance pay for the looted material anyway it just makes the distribution of materials one hell of a lot more efficient than with the Bush administration at the helm. It all comes out of the same pot one way or another.

[sniffa]

63. Like my thread about the scratched rims

focusing one's rage on the Looters, is Like compLaining about the scratched rims on a totaLed car.

[WHAT]

64. this is a little presumptuious....

assuming survival of the fittest assumes ublawfulness?

i THINK YOU NEED TO REWORK...your thoughtlessness

[Media_Lies_Daily]

67. Maybe you can explain what you're trying to say.

[CatWoman]

71. what the fuck are you talking about?

you need to rework your spelling errors.

take two spell checks, and call me in the morning.

[Walt Starr]

66. I wouldn't "loot", I'd "find"

but then again, I'm a white boy, so of course I can't loot based upon how things worked this past week.

Makes me sick, but that's the sad fact in this country. Because I lack melanin in my skin, I can't be a looter.

Maybe, some day, we shall overcome and a person is judged by the content of the character and not the color of their skin.

[sescob]

69. As a mother, I would loot in a second to feed my baby

I can't even fathom standing by as you run out of formula, water and food to feed your baby. So yes, I would loot to save/feed my family. People are trying to survive!! Who cares if they loot for necessities!

[mzmolly]

72. The cops looted. They admitted it. We need laws that protect survivors

of disasters and enable them to take what is needed for survival.

[MercutioATC]

73. Ask a loaded question, get a high-count thread. Freedom of speech at work

Would I loot food and water? If I needed them, certainly. I don't think there's more than a half a dozen people here saying that it would be wrong to do that.

Would I loot jewelry stores? Would I break into ATMs? Would I use a gun to take a car or boat? Never.

"So what"? There were/are people in NOLA as this is going on. One of the most fundamental things that make us a society is our rules. To maintain a society, we MUST encourage adherence to the rules. The people still stranded there (or recently evacuated and in shelters) suffer the most when society breaks down. Excusing looting HARMS the survivors.

If you're talking about "looting" the things necessary for survival and you've spent more that 10 minutes on DU in the last week, you KNOW that almost nobody here considers that to be looting.