When they say take what you need, that doesn’t mean a @#$% TV!!

[VulcanRider]

I can understand grabbing food. If you just lost your home you might be a little worried about where your next meal is coming from. But makeup?

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Even a cop joins in the looting Mike Perlstein and Brian Thevenot Staff writers Law enforcement efforts to contain the emergency left by Katrina slipped into chaos in parts of New Orleans Tuesday with some police officers and firefighters joining looters in picking stores clean. At the Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas Street, an initial effort to hand out provisions to stranded citizens quickly disintegrated into mass looting. Authorities at the scene said bedlam erupted after the giveaway was announced over the radio. While many people carried out food and essential supplies, others cleared out jewelry racks and carted out computers, TVs and appliances on handtrucks. Some officers joined in taking whatever they could, including one New Orleans cop who loaded a shopping cart with a compact computer and a 27-inch flat screen television. Officers claimed there was nothing they could do to contain the anarchy, saying their radio communications have broken down and they had no direction from commanders. “We don’t have enough cops to stop it,” an officer said. “A mass riot would break out if you tried.” Inside the store, the scene alternated between celebration and frightening bedlam. A shirtless man straddled a broken jewelry case, yelling, “Free samples, free samples over here.” Another man rolled a mechanized pallet, stacked six feet high with cases of vodka and whiskey. Perched atop the stack was a bewildered toddler. Throughout the store and parking lot, looters pushed carts and loaded trucks and vans alongside officers. One man said police directed him to Wal-Mart from Robert’s Grocery, where a similar scene was taking place. A crowd in the electronics section said one officer broke the glass DVD case so people wouldn’t cut themselves. “The police got all the best stuff. They’re crookeder than us,” one man said. Most officers, though, simply stood by powerless against the tide of law breakers. One veteran officer said, “It’s like this everywhere in the city. This tiny number of cops can’t do anything about this. It’s wide open.” At least one officer tried futilely to control a looter through shame. “When they say take what you need, that doesn’t mean an f-ing TV,” the officer shouted to a looter. “This is a hurricane, not a free-for-all.” Sandra Smith of Baton Rouge walked through the parking lot with a 12-pack of Bud Light under each arm. “I came down here to get my daughters,” she said, “but I can’t find them.” The scene turned so chaotic at times that entrances were blocked by the press of people and shopping carts and traffic jams sprouted on surrounding streets. Some groups organized themselves into assembly lines to more efficiently cart off goods. Toni Williams, 25, packed her trunk with essential supplies, such as food and water, but said mass looting disgusted and frightened her. “I didn’t feel safe. Some people are going overboard,” she said. Inside the store, one woman was stocking up on make-up. She said she took comfort in watching police load up their own carts. “It must be legal,” she said. “The police are here taking stuff, too.” (Staff writers Doug MacCash and Keith Spera assisted in this story.)

[Jorath Calar]

People are greedy sheeps... What else would you expect?

[Chewbacca]

Jeezus that is all very pathetic and those people should be ashamed. Where the hell is the national gaurd!?!

[Hivetyrant]

“It must be legal,” she said. “The police are here taking stuff, too.”

That's gotta be one of the stupidest things I have heard in along while...

"They’re crookeder than us"

Maybe not....

[Balintherlas]

Hahahahaha

[Iron Greasel]

The idea of lots of free stuff is tempting, though, expecially if a lot of other are doing it too.

I don't think I would loot TVs anyway, that would take away my right to treat the ones who do it as puny barbarians who have less value than a fisful of sand. Food, maybe candy, but no computers.

[RevRuby]

hmmm.....y'know i'm such an undecided shopper, i'd end up with nothing cause i wouldn't be able to decide what i wanted most.

[Sir Degrader]

Bah. I seem to recall reading in my history books the Army getting drunk and shooting looters in the SF earthquake, then looting. I doubt that would happen here. Still, I think they should be shot, give a good example.

[Morgeruat]

Originally posted by Chewbacca: Jeezus that is all very pathetic and those people should be ashamed. Where the hell is the national gaurd!?!

Saving lives, rescuing people on twelve hour rotating shifts, frankly human lives are more important than things like TV's that they won't even be able to get to use before it's destroyed by water damage. The jewelry, meh, it'll at least be saleable and easily portable for when they need to buy food later on. Personally I'd go for canned food and bottled water first, then clothes, then something of value that I could use in the future (like the jewelry), oh the things you learn from gaming. Foresight seems to be the last thing on these peoples minds.

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by Chewbacca: Where the hell is the national gaurd!?!

Um.... I'll give you three guesses, and they all begin with "I".