Looters and marshall Law

“I am completely disgusted with all the looting going on in the hurricane ravaged areas. It's a disgrace to our nation. My opinion is, instill Marshall Law and let these thieves know they can't get away with it.
last edited: 8/31/05 12:06:14 PM”

“I suspect some National Guardsmen holding M-16's would cure most of this.”

“There have been reports of looting taking place in full view of the National Guard.

Martial law has already been declared in NO. The NG just isn't shooting looters. Yet.

I expect in a few days it will be quite medieval there...
last edited: 8/31/05 12:10:54 PM”

“You can get by with things but you can never get away with it.”

“shoot first (rubber bullets) ask questions later”

“Issuing shoot to kill orders usually cleans up looting in short order, especially when they start carrying it out.”

“True, the NG is there, but not many. If you have one soldier per 1k looters then not much is going to happen unless a trigger is pulled. You put 2 on each corner of each block and then you get a more mellow crowd. I wonder what tear gas would do once it floated onto your skin from the water?”

“I don’t get it.

Shooting illegal war protesters = BAD
Shooting looters = GOOD”

“If it's food that's one thing but if their stealing other stuff, declare martial law and bring out the National Guard!

Opps I forgot, the National Guard is in Iraq. Well in that case let all of the anti-gun folks go down and arrest them.”

“i saw video of people going through walmart with shopping carts full of stuff...hopefully since they are on tape they will be prosecuted”

“I guess that's what he means by Marshall Law. Sorry I missed that, me bad. Is Marshall a gun control kook?
last edited: 8/31/05 12:23:46 PM”

“Shooting illegal war protesters = BAD
Shooting looters = GOOD”

Since when did petitioning the King to redress grievances become illegal? I thought that's why the Founding Father wrote the Declaration of Independence?”

“Ah, nigal, mr. consistency.”

““Since when did petitioning the King to redress grievances become illegal? I thought that's why the Founding Father wrote the Declaration of Independence?”


No Sol, this goes wayyy back to the ramp up to the invasion. Protesters were illegally trying to block the ports in SF where materials were shipping out to the gulf. The longhairs here were all up in arms about the use of rubber bullets on these illegal protesters but when it comes to poor people taking things they want blood and guts.

See Le Subtle, I do want consistency. How about you?
last edited: 8/31/05 12:28:25 PM”

“you both got it wrong...they should put the protesters and the looters in a ring and let them dook it out with these

”

“Aren't those the big mittens catholic mothers would put on there adolescent sons to keep them from beating off?”

“Maybe that explains why so many men are drawn to sheep?
last edited: 8/31/05 12:38:37 PM”

“don't poor people know right from wrong?


longhairs...you mean hippies”

“Nigal, since when is the death penalty, without due process, called for in the case of "illegal" protest.

Just borrow some of the Czar's, er....uh....Putin's, cavalry.
Sabres are more macho, anyway.

Nigal doesn't want consistency, just to turn back the clock to the "good old days".”

“Officials Helpless Against Looters By KEVIN McGILL, Associated Press Writer
16 minutes ago (off Yahoo News)

NEW ORLEANS - Authorities frantically tried to restore order Wednesday to the devastated city as brazen looters ransacked stores and houses for food, clothing, appliances — and guns.

Thieves chased a state police truck full of food. The New Orleans police chief ran off looters while city officials themselves were commandeering equipment from an Office Depot.

Officials tried to balance security needs with saving lives.

"We're multitasking right now," said New Orleans Police Capt. Marlon Defillo. "Rescue, recovery, stabilizataion of looting, we're trying to feed the hungry."

Gov. Kathleen Blanco appealed to the White House to send more people to help with evacuations and rescues, thereby freeing up National Guardsmen to stop looters.

"We need to free up the National Guard to do security in the city," Blanco said.

Meanwhile, city officials were taking advantage of the state of emergency to empty an Office Depot, which already had been looted, of supplies they needed for a temporary command center. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.

At 4 a.m., while officials were loading up routers and other technical equipment, Police chief Eddie Compass "starts screaming -- he had to chase some looters out that were coming in to loot some more," Defillo said.

City security chief Greg Meffert said he was awakened to help form a human chain to quickly unload a state police truck filled with food.

"The truck was about to be attacked by looters. ...It had state troopers in it," he said.

In the city's Carrollton section, which is on relatively high geround, looters commandeered a forklift and used it to push up the storm shutters and break the glass of a Rite-Aid pharmacy. The crowd stormed the store, carrying out so much ice, water and food that it dropped from their arms as they ran. The street was littered with packages of ramen noodles and other items.

Defillo said looters were also taking guns and ammunition.

"We're very concerned about that," Defillo said. "We will maintain order. Let me say that. We will stabilize the situation."

Gunshots were heard throughout the night in Carrollton.

Defillo said an officer and a looter were wounded in a shootout. Defillo had no word on their condition. Three or four others were also arrested, he said.

One looter shot and wounded a fellow looter, who was taken to a hospital and survived.

Staff members at Children's Hospital huddled with sick youngsters and waited in vain for help to arrive as looters tried to break through the locked door, Blanco spokeswoman Denise Bottcher told the newspaper. Neither the police nor the National Guard arrived.

Authorities planned to send more than 70 additional officers and an armed personnel carrier into the city.

In the meantime, city authorities were putting a higher priority on rescuing victims and repairing the levee breach that was spilling water into the streets.

"One of our fears is if we don't stop the breach, that we will put good people's lives in jeopardy and they would lose theirs, too," the governor said. "We are concerned about essentials. We are asking for more military presence in the city to control the situation better.

On New Orleans' Canal Street, dozens of looters ripped open the steel gates on clothing and jewelry stores and grabbed merchandise. In Biloxi, Miss., people picked through casino slot machines for coins and ransacked other businesses. In some cases, the looting was in full view of police and National Guardsmen.

The historic French Quarter appeared to have been spared the worst flooding, but its stores were getting the worst of human nature.

"The looting is out of control. The French Quarter has been attacked," Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson said. "We're using exhausted, scarce police to control looting when they should be used for search and rescue while we still have people on rooftops."

Sen. Mary Landrieu (news, bio, voting record)'s helicopter was taking off Tuesday for a flyover of the devastation and she watched as a group of people smashed a window at a gas-station convenience store and jumped in.

At a drug store in the French Quarter, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.”

“Sorry Nigal I thought you were referring to the Cindy Sheehan thing.”

““Sorry Nigal I thought you were referring to the Cindy Sheehan thing.”

Oh heavens no! As I stated in my first post on that thread she has every right to protest as does everyone as long as it's done legally. I may not agree with her and I may think she's dishonest but she still has her rights.”

“Put "THEM" in Guantanimo for an unspecified time. That might do some good & give future looters pause.

Not sure if I'm for shooting them. There could be some bona-fide emergencies involved. Not sure if insured goods are worth taking a life.”

“Looting for food and water while I don't necessarily condone it . . .I understand it.


Looting for clothing is marginal.

Looting for anything else . . .

Is the worst side of human nauture.”

“Aren't those the big mittens catholic mothers would put on there adolescent sons to keep them from beating off?”

i wasn't catholic(wink wink, nudge nudge, know what i mean know what i mean)”

“Martial Law can be imposed during a natural disaster, and in fact, has been on several occassions.

Simply a condition where the President orders the military to take command of an area until civil authority is restored.

While it temporarily reduces some Constitutional Rights, it DOES NOT abolish such rights.”

“Evacuate those who choose to comply...then seal the area WITHOUT fixing the levys...let it flood.

Wait six months...arresting all who try to leave as National Security risks....

After six months, drain the city, shoot any survivors; collect the dead.”

“I don't think that I'd call taking food and water during a natural disaster 'looting'.
last edited: 8/31/05 2:30:24 PM”

“Is there a racial aspect to this?

”

“I am completely disgusted with all the looting going on in the hurricane ravaged areas. It's a disgrace to our nation. My opinion is, instill Marshall Law and let these thieves know they can't get away with it.
last edited: 8/31/05 12:06:14 PM”
woodzie
12:05:56 PM
8/31/05


Question:

Which is more disgraceful?
The fact that 37 million people are living in poverty (a 1.1 million increase over last year) in the greatest, wealthiest nation on earth, or:

The fact that some people, who may be living in poverty need to loot because they are living in poverty?

Personally, I'd like to give the looters a map to thier nearest closed WalMart, I'm sure the security gaurd making $7.00 p/h won't put him/herself in harm's way, especially when they probably don't have health insurance.

What will people say when "looters" begin looting over higher enegry prices to heat thier homes? Face it folks, the republican party is much more damaging to America than this hurricane.”

“"Finding"....is correct if the store was open and selling....(I doubt it).”

“It's disgusting that people are calling for the shooting of human beings to protect consumer goods, absolutely reprehesible.”

“Put "THEM" in Guantanimo for an unspecified time. That might do some good & give future looters pause.

Not sure if I'm for shooting them. There could be some bona-fide emergencies involved. Not sure if insured goods are worth taking a life.”
catskhiker
1:32:11 PM
8/31/05

Do you take the same tone with Ernron and Worldcom employees that bilked American citizens out of billions of dollars?

That's what I thought.”

“BB - the footage I've seen reminds me of the Rodney King riots. Free Rodney and thanks for the TV. I've seen more non food items shown on TV than non-perishable food.

I'll play devils advocate here, all that merchanidise is a total loss and will be replaced by insurance anyway, so.....”

“Approve the shootings to protect the OTHER folks out there who are being accosted by ARMED GANGS of roving looters......”

“The way I see it, those folks have been looted by the WalMarts of the world for years, this is just karma.”

“I keep thinking about how I'd feel as the camera man. Would I walk in a store with 200 folks who are looting when people have been convicted in the past from that type of footage? Check the amount of people hiding their faces. Not many, but some. I'd be scared to death to shoot that footage.

I agree ST, just a few shots of birdshot out of a 12 gauge would do wonders. Heck, use rubber bullets.”

“BB - are all businesses evil?”

“BB-

I am appalled that you manage to turn this into a political rant! There is no condoning of looting. If people are scavanging for food and water, then that is just a survival issue. I have no problem with that, and I'd probably do the same.

Trashing stores and taking money, electronics, shoes, and merchandise is the lowest form of scum, and can't be rationalized away by a blind hatred of a particular government.

Would your feelings be the same if there was a democrat in office? I hate to break it to you, but there were huge numbers of people in New Orlesans and everywhere else living in poverty long before the current government was in place. I dare speculate that they would be looting in NO right now if Kerry had won the election, too.

I have no love for the current administrations policies, but this is ridiculous. Get a clue.

And, yes, I think citizens and/or the Guard and police should be able to use force to protect other people's property from these rodents posing as human beings. Use them to plug the levees.

BTW, it is not just "corporate america" they are looting from. In fact, it's largely the small businesses in the neighborhoods.

Wow, some people just don't get it.
last edited: 8/31/05 2:47:10 PM”

“And here I thought republicans were all about opportunity and capitalism. I mean, robbing peter to pay paul is the capitalistic way, why should these entrepenuers be regulated?”

“climbmba - Thanks for the post, I'd like to further pinpoint my position by saying that the looters should only loot big box companies.

Looting mom and pop stores is not cool, they have done nothing to hurt poor people or make poverty grow.”

“So it's acceptable to steal from a large business, but not a small one? OK????

Apparently, you think it should be a crime to have a successful business in this country.”

“And here I thought republicans were all about opportunity and capitalism. I mean, robbing peter to pay paul is the capitalistic way, why should these entrepenuers be regulated?”
Buddha Bear
2:45:43 PM
8/31/05

That is the definition of socialism. You really have issues.”

“It's a crime that a.) people are living in poverty, b.) "successful" companies commit crimes to become "successful" that put people in poverty, and nobody is calling on a firing squad for them.”

“I guess some people just can comprehend a term called "comparison".”

“BB - I'll agree with a and b, but your definition of crime and b are probably different. You seem to think that anyone who tries to make a profit is somehow committing a crime.

Also, I'm all for helping people in poverty who want to be helped, but I've also been around people that are perfectly content to "work the system." The poor aren't somehow automatically noble by their poverty.”

“A.) Under the leadership of the CEO of Enron, millions of Americans are bilked of billions of dollars.

B.) Joe Blow loots Walmart for some Granola bars and an Ipod.

Joe Blow should be shot, Enron CEO should have the case drag out for years, costing tax payers more money, and then he'll prolly get a slap on the wrist.

Joe Blow steals $100 of goods, Mr. Enron steals Billions.

Who is looting who?”

“Hell, DH, PEOPLE work the system, wheter it's one of my union guys taking a half hour nap, or Manager X cheating on his taxes. I'm all for profit, as long as it's done ethically, and I don't think the majority of big business is ethical, mainly because ethical isn't profitable, and they are legal bound to make profit at all costs.”

“BTW - a good discussion is what costs the people in this country more money, napping union guys, or tax-loophole junkies/ managers spending time at strip clubs and the golf course during working hours.”

“I totally agree on your example of different degrees. White collars seem to excuse a lot, and it shouldn't.”