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Thursday, September 01, 2005
Looting question
I've been thinking a lot about something. Remember after the terrorist attacks almost four years ago, how everyone was talking about how New York came together and there was no looting even though there could have been? What do you think is the difference between that incident and the situation in New Orleans with all the looters in the wake of the hurricane? I've a few ideas I'll throw out but they're not even to the point of theories, really, just ideas.
Maybe it's because of the socioeconomic differences? Maybe it's because when the terrorist attacks happened, we had been attacked by an enemy, which drew us together, whereas Katrina doesn't qualify as an enemy in the same way? Maybe the looting was happening in New York but not being reported by the media?
Any thoughts?
Comments
I think a lot of it has to do with the isolation, in a few ways:
1. People can't get out, so there is more "survival" looting for food, water, first aid supplies, etc.
2. Authorities are having a hard time getting in, so people feel more free to loot with less of a risk of getting caught/stopped.
Just a thought!
Posted by: Kat at September 1, 2005 09:44 AM
I agree with your second theory: no one to blame so people are attacking each other instead. But it's very depressing.
Still, there are bright spots, like all the news out of Texas (the Astrodome schedule cleared through December so it can be a refuge a long as needed, schools ordered to take pupils while going easy on requiring documentation - and given the money to do so, and so on.
Posted by: dichroic at September 1, 2005 12:31 PM
It's Bush's fault for not sending more troops. I am reading that more and more, including on one of the work list-servs I am on! "If we didn't have so many troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, they would be available to help the disaster victims" is what I have read on more than one occasion. Ugh.
Posted by: mary at September 2, 2005 01:46 PM
Not that New Yorkers are known for their wonderful behavior, but to be sadly honest, the sort of behavior that is going on in New Orleans by some of the people - that's how they acted prior to the hurricane. It's just getting more media coverage now. When we lived down there, there was no way I'd ever go into NO by myself. Way too dangerous and scary.
Posted by: Keer at September 2, 2005 09:47 PM
I just returned from a vacation at Catalina Island to hear of this devistation. I don't even know the half of what has happened, still reading stories and looking for footage online. This is horrible. So far, it seems to me these people were ticked off. Seems to me they had reason to be ticked off. Nothing excuses r a p e or murder though. Nothing at all.
Posted by: jenn at September 3, 2005 05:39 PM
