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Stopping the looters in New Orleans

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
I am really torn about this. Obviously the looting, which makes New Orleans just look horrible, needs to be stopped. Unfortunately I am afraid the killings have just begun...
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
What's to be torn about?

I mean, everyone sees it for what it is...people aren't stealing for survival, which would be fine...I mean, you're breaking in to get bottled water to live. OK, we can deal with that...but the 12 pairs of Nikes are just going to make you one bling-bling thieving bastard. How heartbreaking is it to see parents GETTING HELP FROM THEIR KIDS as they loot?? It's disgusting, and even though I speak from the privileged position as a middle-class never-lost-my-home-to-disaster kind of guy, I have no problem seeing it for what it is: people unashamedly stealing in an attempt to 'get what's theirs.'

But, emotions aside, there's always evil and injustice in the world, and I'd rather see our resources directed towards helping those who need it than vainly trying to impose order on a hopeless situation. The resources devoted to keeping civil order are going to be stretched thin enough dealing with the major violence in this big mess, and the allotment of assets should be more heavily weighted on relief than on enforcement. We should have the minimum enforcement to prevent mass violence, and the rest working to save lives and assist survivors.

MD
 

Changleen

Paranoid Member
Jan 9, 2004
14,335
2,448
Hypernormality
I pretty much agree totally. This theft is disheartening to say the least to see but it shouldn't stop the authorities focussing on saving lives right now.
 

Andyman_1970

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2003
3,105
5
The Natural State
From what I can tell yesterday NOPD's serch and rescue efforts were being eclipsed by the Coast Guard, Army, Navy etc - so I don't think there is much "loss" to the total effort by the PD focusing on law enforcement.
 

DRB

unemployed bum
Oct 24, 2002
15,242
0
Watchin' you. Writing it all down.
The police are barely in a position to protect themselves. There is no backup to call if things go wrong for them. Their radios barely work because most of the repeater towers are down or non-functioning. Their main goal should be to ensure that the looting is orderly and not violent, which appears to be the case. Beyond that, looting is inconsequential at this point.
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
Funny that looters are stealing electronic goods like tv's etc.... not liek there is any electricity in the city and no way to get their ill gotten booty out.

As far as property looters go, I say shoot to kill.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
N8 said:
Funny that looters are stealing electronic goods like tv's etc.... not liek there is any electricity in the city and no way to get their ill gotten booty out.

As far as property looters go, I say shoot to kill.
I say Shoot To Thrill

Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will

Yeah
 

Reactor

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2005
3,976
1
Chandler, AZ, USA
At this point I think most of the "stuff" in New Orleans is written off. By the time people are allowed in to salvage the stuff it would be ruined in a retail sense. They are talking about 3-4 Months to drain the city and start rebuilding. By then most of the businesses will have written the stuff off, gone out of business, or the stuff would be ruined by the elements. As for violent looters... There should be a sniper school class about ready for final exams, just make it a field exercise this year.

There is going to be a major health crisis soon, hundreds if not thousands of people are dead, floating around the city, human waste is going straight into the mix. You've got the makings of a major epidemic.
 

blt2ride

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2005
2,333
0
Chatsworth
Changleen said:
I pretty much agree totally. This theft is disheartening to say the least to see but it shouldn't stop the authorities focussing on saving lives right now.
I agree; now is the time to take care of the people. Material things are worthless at this point. Sadly, we all knew people would go out and loot, it's just one of those things.
 

Ciaran

Fear my banana
Apr 5, 2004
9,839
15
So Cal
N8 said:
As far as property looters go, I say shoot to kill.
Because property is worth more then a life :rolleyes: Sometimes you say the most vulgar things.
narlus said:
bikegeek, that site is chilling.
Wow, I checked it out and it is indeed chilling. I am a very lucky person.
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
BikeGeek said:
Interesting read at http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/
Apparently this guy works for a datacenter on the 10th floor of a building in NO and has been there since this all started. If what he writes is true, then some of the police have given up and joined in the looting.

Apologies if the link has already been posted.

Whoa! Good linkage.. scary situation.
 
i guess i'll rephrase...new orleans is turning into somalia. roving armed gangs...what kinda bullsh!t is that?!?! looting for food...fine...but shooting firemen/rescue workers or helicopters?!?! i say its time to send in some real troops...not the pansy national guard. martial law is not anarchy. the message and action should be: gun in your hand and not military? we shoot to kill.
 

ridetoofast

scarred, broken and drunk
Mar 31, 2002
2,095
5
crashing at a trail near you...
Ciaran said:
Because property is worth more then a life :rolleyes: Sometimes you say the most vulgar things.

Wow, I checked it out and it is indeed chilling. I am a very lucky person.

vulgar is as vulgar does in gumpspeak...

sweet jeebus you are so liberal and pc, these fvcktards are acting like animals plain and simple, there is NO way to sugar coat it.

since you think so highly of these people why dont you go down to NO and volunteer, maybe have an interdiction, a counseling session, talk them through their feelings of oppression and inequity
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
ridetoofast said:
vulgar is as vulgar does in gumpspeak...

sweet jeebus you are so liberal and pc, these fvcktards are acting like animals plain and simple, there is NO way to sugar coat it.

since you think so highly of these people why dont you go down to NO and volunteer, maybe have an interdiction, a counseling session, talk them through their feelings of oppression and inequity

Shhhh... dude.. these are the people who are gonna supply me with food and gas when the sh!t goes down cuz you know they don't have a gun or if they did, they'd never use it..
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
N8 said:
Shhhh... dude.. these are the people who are gonna supply me with food and gas when the sh!t goes down cuz you know they don't have a gun or if they did, they'd never use it..
N8, do you have unrequited charles bronson fantasies?
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
ridetoofast said:
since you think so highly of these people why dont you go down to NO and volunteer, maybe have an interdiction, a counseling session, talk them through their feelings of oppression and inequity
I'd be happy if we could just evacuate the hospitals after 5 days.
 

ridetoofast

scarred, broken and drunk
Mar 31, 2002
2,095
5
crashing at a trail near you...
thats the sad part...the hospitals have to be evacuated!

to think that i almost went down there to do corpse recovery as a FEMA volunteer...from what i've read since i got home from work i could've become one.

at this point it really is going to take brute force to put these animals down.
 

ridetoofast

scarred, broken and drunk
Mar 31, 2002
2,095
5
crashing at a trail near you...
oh you mean the people that shoot their sister in the head over a bag of ice?

or the people that shoot a cop in the head when he tries to stop them looting?

or the people that shoot at the helicopters who are trying to rescue them?

or the people that were committing rape in the superdome?

you mean those swell people...ok thanks for clearing that up :thumb:
 

Changleen

Paranoid Member
Jan 9, 2004
14,335
2,448
Hypernormality
ridetoofast said:
oh you mean the people that shoot their sister in the head over a bag of ice?

or the people that shoot a cop in the head when he tries to stop them looting?

or the people that shoot at the helicopters who are trying to rescue them?

or the people that were committing rape in the superdome?

you mean those swell people...ok thanks for clearing that up :thumb:
No I meant every other person in NO. If you wade in with the 'you people are all animals' attitude, how are you going to be received do you think? Is that going to be a constructive behaviour? Would that, possibly, make the situation worse?
 

Andyman_1970

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2003
3,105
5
The Natural State
ridetoofast said:
thats the sad part...the hospitals have to be evacuated!
I've read of one that was actually under "seige" by armed looters......

IMO it's one thing to loot for food/water/diapers so one can survive - but when this breaks down into the victims shooting at those trying to rescue them..........I'll be honest I would have a hard time exercising "grace and mercy" in a situation like that (with those that are armed).
 

DRB

unemployed bum
Oct 24, 2002
15,242
0
Watchin' you. Writing it all down.
dbp said:
I wouldn't normally get into this and being all the way over in Ausland it's hard to appreciate what is going, but folks... let's take the time to feel what it's like to be a poor person, who feels betrayed by the goverment, who wants to live, who is scared. I am white and middle class and I have no real appreciation of what years of economic and cultural oppression can do to a person but I can empathise with them. Yes stealing nikes and tv's isn't going to help them and I cannot say that I totally agree it but I cannot begin to imagine what they are going thru right now. It's times like these that can make normal people act different. Knowing many mountain bikers out there i can bet that given the same chance, the same situation, the same hate of "the estabilishment", the same years of poverty, that some of you would just love for the doors of your local mountain bike store to be bust open...think about it.
I simply don't care about the background, upbringing, oppression, or if their mama didn't love them. I don't have to think about it for a random nanosecond nor do I have to be in their shoes to know that its wrong to randomly shoot at helicopters. That its wrong to lay siege to a hospital. To attack policemen that are basically letting you steal. To rape. To murder. There is no empathy, excuse, reasons or understanding for actions like these.
 

valve bouncer

Master Dildoist
Feb 11, 2002
7,843
114
Japan
Can anyone point to me to any links with first person accounts of people firing at helicopters. Found the stuff about the hospital but couldn't find anything other than "reports say" about helicopters being fired on. I'm not suggesting it didn't happen, just haven't seen anything concrete about it.
Edit- OK upon further reading it was the helicopters at the hospital that were getting shot at. Is it a sniper or snipers threatening the hospital? I'm unclear on that.
 

Andyman_1970

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2003
3,105
5
The Natural State
valve bouncer said:
Is it a sniper or snipers threatening the hospital? I'm unclear on that.
A nurse at one of the affected hospitals last night did a phone interview that indicated it was armed "gangs" that were surrounding the hospital.
 

dbp

Chimp
Aug 26, 2005
65
0
DRB said:
I simply don't care about the background, upbringing, oppression, or if their mama didn't love them. I don't have to think about it for a random nanosecond nor do I have to be in their shoes to know that its wrong to randomly shoot at helicopters. That its wrong to lay siege to a hospital. To attack policemen that are basically letting you steal. To rape. To murder. There is no empathy, excuse, reasons or understanding for actions like these.
but would you steal the brand new 2006 model [insert bike of choice here] mountain bike that you have always wanted and dreamed of for years if you just "happened"to come across a store front with no windows and not a cop for miles????? now be honest!! you could become one of the crazy looters....
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
For every one guy with a gun, there are 500 or 1000 old people or kids or people without cars who couldn't get out, and you seem to just be oozing sympathy.

Just die, N8. Seriously. Put a gun in your mouth and pull the ****ing trigger and make the world a better place.
 

DRB

unemployed bum
Oct 24, 2002
15,242
0
Watchin' you. Writing it all down.
dbp said:
but would you steal the brand new 2006 model [insert bike of choice here] mountain bike that you have always wanted and dreamed of for years if you just "happened"to come across a store front with no windows and not a cop for miles????? now be honest!! you could become one of the crazy looters....
You are an idiot.
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
For Silver and ilk:

Yes, we all know that a huge number of the folks who are left in NO are people who had no choice but to stay. Yes, we know about the sick and the elderly and those too impoverished to afford to evacuate. Yes, we know about the thousands of people who are STILL stranded on roofs and whatnot. Yes, we all understand that in order to survive food and drinks will be removed from stores.

What everyone with a brain does not understand, is the actions of a few thug/gangsta/criminal GANGS who are now well armed and on a pillaging/raping/murdering spree...

These are the dregs of society that need to be dealt with most harshly. There is no excusing their behavior PERIOD.
 

dbp

Chimp
Aug 26, 2005
65
0
DRB said:
You are an idiot.
and why am I an idiot... just asking a question. I didn't pick on anyone or use offensive language and get called an idiot... nice!
 

DRB

unemployed bum
Oct 24, 2002
15,242
0
Watchin' you. Writing it all down.
dbp said:
and why am I an idiot... just asking a question. I didn't pick on anyone or use offensive language and get called an idiot... nice!
You are an idiot because you can't seem to grasp the difference between shooting at helicopters or laying seige to hospitals and stealing a f'ing mountain bike.
 

dbp

Chimp
Aug 26, 2005
65
0
DRB said:
You are an idiot because you can't seem to grasp the difference between shooting at helicopters or laying seige to hospitals and stealing a f'ing mountain bike.
well if you took the time to just read my messages... I was not ever talking about the shooting - never mentioned at all.. there are plently of people covering that issue and yes, it's totally wrong. i am talking about just the looting side as I can understand that a little more. so am I still an idiot in your eyes??
 

DRB

unemployed bum
Oct 24, 2002
15,242
0
Watchin' you. Writing it all down.
dbp said:
well if you took the time to just read my messages... I was not ever talking about the shooting - never mentioned at all.. there are plently of people covering that issue and yes, it's totally wrong. i am talking about just the looting side as I can understand that a little more. so am I still an idiot in your eyes??
Then what's your point? That stealing is okay. Fine its okay. I could careless if they stripped the city clean. I think 99% of people could careless. The governor and mayor as much as said take it all. Who gives a crap about stealing a TV? No one. No one at all. I don't care that they did it nor do I care why.

But then an element (that was probably criminal to begin with) got mean. Went after things they shouldn't, things law abiding citizens across the board know that you don't do. Things that decent human beings don't do.

The discussion moved on, you didn't.
 

dbp

Chimp
Aug 26, 2005
65
0
DRB said:
Then what's your point? That stealing is okay. Fine its okay. I could careless if they stripped the city clean. I think 99% of people could careless. The governor and mayor as much as said take it all. Who gives a crap about stealing a TV? No one. No one at all. I don't care that they did it nor do I care why.

But then an element (that was probably criminal to begin with) got mean. Went after things they shouldn't, things law abiding citizens across the board know that you don't do. Things that decent human beings don't do.

The discussion moved on, you didn't.
we agree then - sweet.... not wanting to stress you folk out.. i'll move on now and leave you folks to debate at will.

later, and hope that everyone down there gets the help and protection they need.