Reports of looting in the areas hard-hit by the storm

reply to post by ahmonrarh


That's so sick! I cannot understand why people would steal from others when their at their lowest! The only time that I think looting is o.k. is if there is an extreme natural disaster and no one has access to food... If there are abondend convience and grocery stores and everyone is starving why not go get some food and water?

As for the greed factor, I don't understand it. Do people really need to go into stores and steal T.V.s and jeans? Common!

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander


That is disturbing! It's so sad how many people in the world are like this! I'm so happy I don't live in the States. I know their are people like this in Canada as well but for some reason your Country attracts a lot of these sickos... I wonder why?( BTW I know most Americans are not like this).

I have heard there are a bunch of people from surrounding counties being arrested for theft because they actually drove to the disaster areas immediatley after and started stealing! Its just amazing that after something this bad the first thing on some peoples mind is stealing? For the most part though I have seen alot of good happening, people helping others like you wouldnt believe.

reply to post by inanna1234


Ya, especially third world countries. Most people help out during these times but there are enough people out there who can't wait to make a quick buck of someone elses miss fortune

reply to post by ahmonrarh


It's not just looting of victims, which I find to be atrocious and inhumane, those of you who know me, know that I work at a hotel, we are hosting around 80 rooms to ga power employees, here to help restore power to all areas, these same guys will leave here tomorrow and join Alabama Power and help them get things up and running. Tonight I have already caught 2 people trying to steal wiring off the work vehicles. Wire theft is epidemic in this area, houses that sit empty for a while end up stripped completely, power poles on the lesser travelled roads have had their wiring stolen. Ridiculous.

Are you people not living in the same world that I am? Are my messages going through some type of dimensional portal to a different reality?

You do realize that the entire premise of our society is to acquire as much wealth and material possessions as possible right? Capitalism is not much different than looting. It is just done through looters who we call Judges Banks and Lawyers. Steal as much as you can possibly steal is the entire premise of our society. How can you blame these people for stealing when that is what our highest and supposedly most respected leaders do daily for a career?

They are just less educated, if they had more education they would not be stealing tools out of the back of a truck, but they would be stealing billions from the taxpayers. Not much difference in my eyes.

I don't understand why people always seem to be so shocked at reports of looting following a natural disaster.

At the best of times, some people burgle, rob and steal, so what makes people think that burglars and muggers will suddenly turn into fine, upstanding and empathetic citizens ?

Add to that, the fact that there are many people who do not commit crimes, purely out of the fear of being caught, and these kind of people will also be getting in on the action, opportunistically taking advantage of the general lawless and chaotic aftermath of a disaster.

Looting in situations such as these, really shouldn't surprise anybody.

Ahh yes, doing what they do best, GREED and STUPIDITY.

Disaster! Must run out and steal a TV!

This is nothing new. Not even remotely close to being new. Yes we saw some wide scale, SHTF lawlessness and looting during Katrina but I can say for a fact that this happens in the US anytime there is a disaster of any kind. I lived in Kansas (in the heart of Tornado ally) for about 10 years. Dealing with Tornadoes in this area is a way of life.

There is one day I remember very vividly. It was April 26, 1991. There was a huge outbreak of tornadoes on that day. My day started at the Oklahoma - Kansas boarder in a town called Arkansas City Kansas. I spent that day chasing storms trying to get some good photographs of a tornado. The day did not disappoint. There were a couple F-5's produced that day. One thing I will not forget was the city of Andover which is just East of Wichita Kansas. A huge F-5 hit that town and left it in pieces. The damage was unlike anything I had ever seen. It really was a tragedy. People's homes destroyed. Their possessions destroyed and tossed about like trash, which is really all it was by the time the storm had passed. I can still remember seeing a mobile home frame... huge steel frame... twisted up like a pretzel and stuck at the top of a tree. The whole area was destroyed, it looked like a war zone.

It did not take long for people to begin helping others and helping them to find what few things they had left. In the middle of what should have been a heart warming moment, as strangers helped strangers. Strangers held strangers and gave them a shoulder to cry on, we saw the looters. People who simply decided to take advantage of a tough situation and find possessions they could salvage and keep for themselves. I helped in that clean up. I was there to help clean up in Winfield, Arkansas City, Andover and Newkirk Oklahoma. In each place, there was no shortage of looters. The police can not watch over everything, especially in places where the damage path was just so so huge.

So again, this was 1991. Nothing has changed. There will ALWAYS be heartless people who will seize upon an opportunity to take advantage of others who are suffering. As much as I may hate to admit it... that is the American Way.

Sad to see.. But not surprising due to the "everyman for himself / me first" mentality in the west..
Sincere condolences to those who lost family / friends in the storm...
Hope that the good people will band together to help each other out over there...

This is not surprising. Moreover, it should not shock anyone either. With any good being done such as people helping others, there will always be bad such as looting, crime, or other heinous acts to fellow human beings. It is the common duality of life.

I am a against people kicking others in face while they are down, but it is the sad reality of life. There will always be those who prosper by the suffering of others. I suppose for the people affected by the devastation in these hard hit areas, it would be an ideal time for them to set up some form of neighborhood watch?

Originally posted by incrediblelousminds
Remember the lessons from Katrina, people. New AP style dictates it is only 'looting' when done b poor Blacks.

When white folks do it, it's 'getting supplies'.

Lmaooo.

Second line.

The night of the Northridge quake in '94 a number of placwes were looted starting with the fire arms dealers and pawn shops but to go to another area like from S.MO to AL or AR just to steal would be dumb and if you dont have a first responder or DES ID then they don't belong there I understand that some companies may be contracted to be there but they should be with their group so if your digging through a pile that was once a house and you dont live at that adress look out for the consquinces from those that live and/or are working for cause in the area

Well said.

Our society seems to indoctrinate everyone from birth in a so called Capitalistic society to get their share.

Fuzzy logic applies to Capitalism or for that matter Socialism, Communism etc.....

In the end people do know what is right and wrong, and even with indoctrination our "Gut" tells us is we are doing something wrong.

Originally posted by idonotcollectstamps


They are just less educated, if they had more education they would not be stealing tools out of the back of a truck, but they would be stealing billions from the taxpayers. Not much difference in my eyes.

reply to post by mayabong


I don't see anything wrong with people taking things they need to survive. If everything has just be destroyed in your area including your bank; you may have not have any money. What if your shoes or clothes got damaged. I am ok with people taking things in a diaster when they are items that are truly needed such as clothes, shoes,food, and water. I am not ok with people taking electronics, jewelry or cds these are luxery items.
If I was in a diaster and I have no idea where my next meal is coming from you bet I would take food from a store. I would not take anything from indivuals. In fact I would give an indviual something they needed if I had to spare.
I would never take anything under normal circumstances. In diasters it is basically survival of the fittest. Sure I would try to band together with some other people but a lot of times in diasters some people mainly look our for themselves and their family. Sad to say. There are good people out there though.