Over at Anger Management, I made the following two comments on Don's post concerning how the looters in New Orleans are using altruism to excuse their theft of dry goods for "profit".
(1) On another blog, I saw someone comment that it is likely that many of the electronics and jewelry looters stayed specifically for this purpose. It is, alas, a proposition I have absolutely no trouble believing.
I would fear for my life even if well-fed out there right now. Who's left there? A few unlucky souls got stuck there, but a huge proportion are those who do not make long-range plans and criminals. (Both "lifestyles" are encouraged by government handouts and, as you point out, the dominant ideas in our culture.) To top it off, all are now desperate.
(2) Via David Veksler's blog comes a first-hand account of the looting from someone attempting to retrieve his property. He likens the scene to Blackhawk Down. (And this reminds me: I saw on Fox News that a military 'copter was fired upon near the Superdome evacuation site.)
This is about what I'd expect. (And the news had reported yesterday that looters were stealing guns. That alone is an excellent reason to shoot looters on sight. To do otherwise is to let criminals become even more dangerous.) Since nothing is being done about the looters, I can't help but wonder how many of them will end up being imported, by the busload, into Houston -- if they ever quit threatening their rescuers. [bold added]
I am, apparently, not the only one concerned that Houston's hospitality towards the Superdome refugees will be "rewarded" with theft and reduced personal safety for those nearby the Astrodome.
The following excerpt comes from an email sent to students at a school in the Texas Medical Center, which is minutes away by tram from the Astrodome, and many of whose students reside in apartments
across the street from Reliant Park, where the Astrodome is located.
Harris County Judge Robert Eckels has said the refugees from New Orleans moving into the Astrodome will be free to move in and out of the Astrodome grounds while in Houston. They will receive passes which allow them to come and go from the property. Therefore, we expect to see increases in people traveling through the Medical Center and surrounding neighborhoods, especially those adjacent to Reliant Park and along Metro routes. While [we] anticipate ... [increased police] patrols in the Medical Center area, we want to encourage all students to take precautions. Therefore, we suggest the following [steps] to deter theft and increase personal safety...
While any huge group of displaced people will include criminals, what I have learned about many of those who did not evacuate makes me very uneasy about having so many New Orleanians free to roam about in the city where I live.
-- CAV
