Some eyewitness accounts from New Orleans.

[Kalevera]

Just wait until the vigilantes show up and take matters into their own hands.

These wannabe gangsters and the guns they stole from the local walmart.... Sigh...once again, people are getting confused as to whether these people are criminals, or at least -- performing criminal acts, or just "desperate".

The latter would be believable if they weren't trying to, in the words of Snoop Dogg on the LA riots of the early '90s, "get things" [they otherwise couldn't afford]. Then there's the fact that they're stealing guns.



best, whit

[DanDombrowski]

Well, I don't mean to start anything based on race here, and I probably shouldn't say it, and will most likely end up taking this down later and apologizing, but here's my take on it.

From what I've heard from out there from some of the police and firefighters is that even before the hurricane there was a large amount of disrespect for the police by the poorer black communities, probably no more so than in California, New York, Miami, or any other big city, but thats what the beat from the Police in the area is, and without normal law, that is what is being acted upon. They're being exactly what Lowell said, wanna-be gangsters. When I say "they", I'm of course referring to a small number of the population that is ruining it for everyone.

The bottom line is that as far as I know, no one has gone to the area to take anything. No one come from Georgia or Florida or Texas to loot. The only people that have gone there are going to help save their lives, and their only thanks they can give is to rob the police, rob the rescue workers, rob their fellow citizens whom could be their neighbors, and fire upon medics. I'd like to believe that the reason that most people don't act like this on a daily basis is not because we would be caught and punished, but because we recognize that by acting like this, we hurt the people that live in our community. When they hijack busses filled with refugees, they're making people in the same situation as they are worse off, so in that light, I don't see desperation as any excuse at all. I suppose if I was sitting in a swamp with nothing but the clothes on my back and water all around, I'd be singing a different tune, and I don't fault anyone for taking food and water from a store without paying in a time like this. But to take it from another victim, man, whats wrong with you?

In light of all of this, I will still send aid to the victims. I will still donate clothes from my closet, canned goods, and bottled water at the donation center at the office, because I trust that it will get to the people who really do need it, and I encourage you to do the same in spite of the small population that cares only for themselves.

ok, done ranting.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

I say we let the Natioanl Guard open up a can of whoop ass on these sub humans

[winfred]

i have several tools that say what's mine is mine and it will remain that way

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

And all we ever had was a couple of generator thefts, price gouging and repair scams. Usally everybody was sharing what they had and making sure everybody was safe.

But we have never seen the type of Turd Mongering that is going on now.

[brodee]

People here in Houston are wondering what's going to happen when the busses finally start making it here. These people are only going to become more deperate in the next weeks when there is nothing. My wife brought up the point of all the druggies and junkies. They are all freaking out because they can't get drugs.

I've been to New Orleans 2 times, once this past February on the way back from Florida with an M3 we picked up. I swore that time that I would never go back to that place again. It was the nastiest, most stinking place I've ever been. I can't even imagine how it is now.

The thing I don't understand is them shooting at helicopters. What the hell is wrong with these people?? If they really want out this sure isn't going to help. My Mom is retired and does extensive help with the red cross. She spent a lot of time last year in Florida for the huricanes and she is scared to go help on this one. She's requesting that they send her here to Houston to help the refugees so she can be close to us and not deal with everything there.

[pyro]

My dad is to there with urban search and resqu (usar) hes from the california 4 branch or something he hasn't said much yet ill let u guys know when he does.

[Jason]

and he's down there with a photgrapher who was in Iraq and Afghanistan and he says its worse than anything he's seen. The stories and the conditions are horriffic. He said the stench in the superdome was overwhelming and one guy there got beaten for asking for a cigarette. Its real hard to have a fair take on it, typing from my airconditioned office, and i know there is a great deal of anger and frustration, but there is no reason to act the way some people are.

[infinity5]

I think what plays a big role into the bad things going on there are type of people in the situation.

new orleans isn't exactly a nice, clean, happy little hometown where everyone knows your name. and i imagine a large portion of the people who decided to stay (or couldn't afford to leave) were uneducated, poor, or both.

i could be wrong. I've never gone really visited the city myself, but form friends who have lived there it's not a nice place sometimes.

[winfred]

it was quite the **** hole before it got squashed

i could be wrong. I've never gone really visited the city myself, but form friends who have lived there it's not a nice place sometimes.