The Looting in New Orleans

[Michelle]

What makes me angry about this whole thing is the 'poor' neighborhood that they show. The people were supposed to be too poor to but a tank of gas to get out of town and yet they had very nice cars in the driveways. I would have slept at a rest stop in my car if I had to for a couple of days. Most were either just too stubborn to leave or stayed behind for the purpose of looting and now they are trapped and mad.

[Faeden]

I really think that America should swallow its pride if it needs outside help, and people are offering it. Look what happened to the Russians when they refused help from the Americans and British when the kersk sub went down.

If I could help in anyway I would do.

Michelle sorry but it seemed you where suggesting I was making it up. Sorry if I read you wrong.

All the best

Faeden

[Michelle]

No problem.

[Babs]

FYI, the day after the hurricane, Canada offered assistance to the US. But as far as I know, they haven't accepted it at this point in time.

821385[/snapback]

Alright, noted Disinterested. If anything we should accept it... it's one big crap sandwich and a lot of people are taking bites of it.

821398[/snapback]

That's wonderful. We will take it! The helicopters are being shot at and can't get down to the people. They need WATER. Give them WATER and come back later to get them. The most important thing is water. We're going to lose many. Senior Bush and Clinton are going to head out for international help. We are in deep trouble. It just keeps getting worse. It may be too late.

We need 10 billion dollars in aid.

All our tax dollars have gone down for New Orleans....a drop in the bucket they are saying. We are in trouble.

[Babs]

I knew they weren't telling us everything.....

[Faeden]

Michelle

From what I saw on the news here, people where saying that because most of them where poor, many of them had to rely on public transport, and also have elderly people to look after, and also the mayor had knowledge that a hurricane could hit new Orleans 24 hours before he did say anything.

You know I think its actually worse than what the media is showing, on a news channel here they rode down a street on a boat, and bodies where floating all over the place, there where like 4 bodies on one street, I believe the death toll could be 1000s

All the best

Faeden

[__Kratos__]

Michelle

From what I saw on the news here, people where saying that because most of them where poor, many of them had to rely on public transport, and also have elderly people to look after, and also the mayor had knowledge that a hurricane could hit new Orleans 24 hours before he did say anything.

You know I think its actually worse than what the media is showing, on a news channel here they rode down a street on a boat, and bodies where floating all over the place, there where like 4 bodies on one street, I believe the death toll could be 1000s 

All the best

Faeden

821424[/snapback]

It is a lot worse... I saw some raw footage last night online... Those people are just in * hell.

[Michelle]

They had free buses running for days before, trying to get people to leave, so I really don't think that's an excuse. Many people, around the area, were already willing to offer their homes to displaced people.

As far as the mayor announcing anything, it was all over the news for weeks, of the possibilities of where it was going to hit. I highly doubt that anyone with access to a television didn't have adequate warning.

[Faeden]

Yeah Michelle, but what they are angry about, is the mayor never ordered an evacuation until it was to late.

They did tell them of a possibility, but did not order an evacuation, you have to look at it from there point of view, they have been given warnings loads of times, and nothing much happens, so they probably thought this was one of the times.

All the best

Faeden

Edited September 1, 2005 by Faeden

[Babs]

Wow, I didn't know that. Where are you getting this international information?

821335[/snapback]

I'll find you the link asap, I was reading it this morning... he called Bush a cowboy as well.

Linky: 'Cowboy' Bush failed in Katrina evacuation - Chavez

821337[/snapback]

Thank you

[Michelle]

With all due respect for what those poor people are going through, anybody with any sense should have gotten out of their own accord.

Newscasters were interviewing people, even after the evacuation was ordered, and they were saying that is wasn't going to be as bad as the news made it sound and that they weren't going to leave.

I wonder how those same people feel about it now?

[Faeden]

Also did you know that apparently there are perverts and men known for pimping advertising free room and board for young girls?

[Babs]

They are going to try to establish law and order. I hope they can do that. I think they will have to slap some people into shape. All Americans will accept help. It would be unthinkable to think that there were those who wouldn't.

Edited September 1, 2005 by Babs

[__Kratos__]

Faeden, I heard that room for sex story as well... those guys should be shot as well as the looters.

Also, for your comments on global warming, as I said I heard it also:

Katrina reignites debate over global warming

[Michelle]

Yes, and it's sad....

but, for every one of them there are hundreds more that are opening up their homes asking for no money at all.

[Faeden]

With all due respect for what those poor people are going through, anybody with any sense should have gotten out of their own accord.

Newscasters were interviewing people, even after the evacuation was ordered, and they were saying that is wasn't going to be as bad as the news made it sound and that they weren't going to leave.

I wonder how those same people feel about it now?

821483[/snapback]

I agree it may well have been foolish to refuse to leave, but think of the amount of times they have had warnings, and told to leave in the past when nothings happened, I can understand why they would be reluctant to leave there property and jobs going on they will know that most warnings never come to be. The temptation to not leave your home and risk it has got to be overwhelming.

All the best

Faeden

[+joc]

Yeah Michelle, but what they are angry about, is the mayor never ordered an evacuation until it was to late.

They are angry because they are there. The mayor did order an evacuation and it was in time. No one...not the mayor, not the president, not the congress, not even Bill Clinton could have changed anything. The fact of the matter is that New Orleans is dead. Bush didn't kill the city. Mother nature did. He shoulda, woulda, coulda is just a game for elementary kids and we are all adults here...for the most part.

[Commander CMG]

They are searching all the attic spaces as many are believed to be dead as they tried to climb higher and higher to escape the flood.

It is believed many died not being able to break out through their roofs.

[__Kratos__]

Katrina's effects at a glance

(AP) -- Following is a rundown of the situation in the states most affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Louisiana

Deaths: The mayor said the hurricane probably killed thousands of people in New Orleans -- an estimate that, if accurate, would make the storm the nation's deadliest natural disaster since at least the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Relief crews put aside the counting of bodies to concentrate on rescuing the living, many trapped on rooftops and in attics.(See video of thousands stranded on New Orleans streets and bridges -- 2:54)

An estimated 80 percent of New Orleans is under water, up to 20 feet deep in places. Water is still rising as engineers struggle to plug two breached levees along Lake Pontchartrain with giant sandbags.

Buses carrying evacuees from New Orleans began arriving at Houston's Astrodome overnight as Louisiana officials began clearing out the hurricane-ravaged Superdome. (See video of National Guard efforts to manage chaos -- 3:14)

Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu said 3,000 people have been rescued by boat and air.

Sections of Interstate 10, the only major freeway leading into New Orleans from the east, are destroyed.

At least 713,000 customers estimated without power.

BellSouth Corp., the region's dominant local phone provider, estimated that about 750,000 lines may be out of service in the most heavily damaged areas.

Looting broke out in some New Orleans neighborhoods. Thieves took guns from a Wal-Mart. One police officer was shot in the head by a looter but was expected to recover. Looters also used a forklift to smash open a pharmacy. City officials themselves commandeered equipment from a looted Office Depot. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.

Quote: "You know, it's not like people are just there because they want to be there. They're there because they're trapped in the city." -- Gov. Kathleen Blanco on ABC "Good Morning America"

Mississippi

Deaths: At least 110. (Watch the video report of corpse recovery -- 3:28)

More than 236,000 customers are without power.

Hundreds of waterfront homes, businesses, community landmarks and condominiums have been obliterated.

Casinos built on barges along the coast are damaged or destroyed, some floated across beach onto land.

More than 1,600 Mississippi National Guardsmen have been activated.

Major bridges were damaged in three coastal counties, including those linking Biloxi with Ocean Springs and the connection to Bay St. Louis.

Looters picked through casino slot machines for coins and ransacked other businesses.

Quote: "It is indescribable -- blocks and blocks and blocks of no houses. Ninety percent of the structures are gone. I saw Camille and the aftermath in 1969 and this is worst than Camille." Gov. Haley Barbour on NBC's "Today." Camille killed 143 and destroyed 6,000 homes.

Alabama

Deaths: Two.

About 325,000 homes and businesses are without power.

Flooding reached 11 feet in Mobile, matching a record set in 1917, according to the National Weather Service. Water got up to the roofs of cars in downtown Mobile and bayou communities. Piers were ransacked and grand homes flooded along Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay.

Major bridge over the Mobile River partially reopened; it was struck by oil drilling platform that floated away from a shipyard.

Florida

Deaths: 11.

About 80,700 customers without power.CNN.com

They are searching all the attic spaces as many are believed to be dead as they tried to climb higher and higher to escape the flood.

It is believed many died not being able to break out through their roofs.

821514[/snapback]

Saw that as well... guys in boats are going around with axes bashing in sides of houses to try and find people that might have lived.

Edited September 1, 2005 by __Kratos__

[Faeden]

Yeah Michelle, but what they are angry about, is the mayor never ordered an evacuation until it was to late.

They are angry because they are there. The mayor did order an evacuation and it was in time. No one...not the mayor, not the president, not the congress, not even Bill Clinton could have changed anything. The fact of the matter is that New Orleans is dead. Bush didn't kill the city. Mother nature did. He shoulda, woulda, coulda is just a game for elementary kids and we are all adults here...for the most part.

821511[/snapback]

Joc

I never blamed anybody, but I do hold an open mind to possibilitys, if everyone was like you no one would question anything, and everyone else would be to blame other than the things you believe in. Its very adult to look at all avenues.

Can I ask you Joc, do you believe that Global warming is happening? And do you think that global warming effects the weather?

All the best

Faeden

[The Raven]

This whole situation makes me sick. Food and water still is a bad thing to just be stealing, but if it's for survival and it's just going to go to waste otherwise, then so be it. Stealing anything else is a childish act of greed.

Now that New Orleans is going to have over 5,000 troops in the city, I think they should step up and do something about the looting of other items. Armed gangs roaming the city is completely unacceptable, and I know of no gang that wants to stand up to the National Guard. Handguns [Exception of .50's], knives, and bats are not going to do anything against M4's, M16's and kevlar, not to mentioned the armored vehicles I've seen on TV in the city.

It's a crisis, but people deserve to be safe. I can't begin to imagine the terrible things that are going to happen because of the current lack of law enforcement. Refugees themselves are getting out of control with anger and rage; I wouldn't be surprised if the city broke out into a riot.

What makes me the most scared, is that this hurricane season has only begun. It's getting worse every year, and I can't fathom the firestorm coming.

Edited September 1, 2005 by The Raven

[Babs]

They are searching all the attic spaces as many are believed to be dead as they tried to climb higher and higher to escape the flood.

It is believed many died not being able to break out through their roofs.

821514[/snapback]

I heard even as dead bodies lay in their homes criminals ransacked their homes and looted. Many degenerates are in New Orleans. Degenerates and criminal types (and criminals) flock to New Orleans...Not to mention junkies. Can you imagine what that means? They will kill people down there; they don't care. They will take over and kill the authorities too.

And there are so many good people down there sufferring. We will be seeing people die in the streets now.

[Commander CMG]

At the end of the day more than a million people were evacuated from the New Orleans and the surrounding areas before the hurricane struck, but Mayor Mr Nagin estimated that up to 100,000 people decided to stay in the city.

I think about 70 thousand of these were at the dome? the Hurricane was predicted and was predicted to be a biggy.

Perhaps they should have all been made to leave, surely it is chaeper and easier to send in the choppers and Army before it struck?

I do believe many gangs and thugs saw an opportunity to gain from this and chose to stay for that reason alone.

Lock and load and put them in bags.

[twpdyp]

They are angry because they are there. The mayor did order an evacuation and it was in time. No one...not the mayor, not the president, not the congress, not even Bill Clinton could have changed anything. The fact of the matter is that New Orleans is dead. Bush didn't kill the city. Mother nature did. He shoulda, woulda, coulda is just a game for elementary kids and we are all adults here...for the most part.

Joc they are angry because they are being held accountable for their, in some cases refusal, to leave when they had the chance. Yes even the homeless, I think an able bodied individual can walk perhaps 20 miles in a day. Given they had perhaps a 3 day warning, I believe it was more, they could have walked maybe 60 miles west and avoided the whole thing. People must be held accountable for their actions as well as their inactions. They are now being held accountable, the price is a miserable existance until they can be rescued, relocated, rebuilt, and restored. I lived through hurricane Andrew in 1992, I made my plans to evacuate before the order was given.

Edited September 1, 2005 by twpdyp

[Michelle]

I wouldn't hesitate for a second, XSAS...

A big thumbs up for twpdyp, too...

Edited September 1, 2005 by Michelle