One of the darkest things I've ever seen.

Rich303

Rich303

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I've just been watching the latest about what is happening in America in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina;

PEOPLE ARE SHOOTING GUNS AT RESCUE WORKERS!!!

W T F!

It reminds me of a police poster I saw in Liverpool, warning of the penalties for assaulting ambulance staff.

What is going on in America. I heard that during the really bad earthquake in Kobe,Japan, everyone tried to help each other out. Why can't these people do the same?

My opinion of humans has just gone down another notch...
 
As I said before, these people are poor and now have the opportunity to get what they want (even if it's useless because there are no houses or anything good left -_-;) It's just human nature, they are not willing to let it be taken from them and use any force necessairy to keep what they looted.
 
That sounds sick. I'd like to know more details before I could make any real judgements on just what is going down--I mean there could be all kinds of reasons for such action. At the same time, unfortunately, I'm somehow not so surprized. :kanashii:
 
RockLee, I think that they was not less poor people in Kobe than in America. I even wouldn't be surprised if one day we're told that, proportionnaly, there were more poor people in Kobe than in America...
 
Mamoru-kun said:
RockLee, I think that they was not less poor people in Kobe than in America. I even wouldn't be surprised if one day we're told that, proportionnaly, there were more poor people in Kobe than in America...
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huh? I'm not talking about Kobe...I'm talking about New Orleans.
 
I know. I was just saying that "poor people" is not the explanation I think, because if it has been the case, they would have had civil disorder in Kobe too. And that was (unless I missed some news) not the case.
 
Mamoru-kun said:
I know. I was just saying that "poor people" is not the explanation I think, because if it has been the case, they would have had civil disorder in Kobe too. And that was (unless I missed some news) not the case.
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Well I don't think rich people would behave like that would they? Unless they are criminals I see no other reason than poverty.
 
All this irrational violence is truly unbelievable. Although I don't have all the facts about the situation; this might be one disaster of the greatest magnitude that STAYED ON instead of retreating after a major blow such as an earthquake or a Tsunami. One congressman said the death toll might exceed 10,000 just in the state of Louisiana, and wikinews says 12,000 total deaths. And these people have been isolated with no sign of relief for almost a week; what they did was beyond our understanding, but we must also consider the possiblity of hysteria brought on by the disaster. What were the authorities doing to bring reliable information and a working relief plan to the victims caught in the disaster area ?
 
I have heard several people strike down these reports of violence in New Orleans. I have heard numerous interviews with civilian volunteers, all who said that they never saw any kind of aggression. I just wonder if some of these reports of violence are exaggerated.

And as for there being more poor people in Kobe than in New Orleans, I would have to say that I do not think so. I think I heard where 30% of the entire population of New Orleans lives below poverty level. I just don't think those two cities are comparable.

What I've seen recently are what looks like scenes from Ethiopia or something. It's ridiculous!

Desperate times call for desperate measures. You have no idea what you would do in that situation.
 
I doubt very seriously 30-40% of Kobe is poor, which is the case with New Orleans.
Nationally the poverty rate here is around 13%, in Japan maybe 7-10% ?

A better analogy would be the Indian Ocean tsunami where you also didn't see looting or shooting, although it's still exceedingly rare after disasters in the US as well. The cases in NO may have been exaggerated, much darker to me is the lack of a response to people congregated for days in more than unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
 
We were on the same wavelength Elizabeth! ;-)

Elizabeth said:
much darker to me is the lack of a response to people congregated for days in more than unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
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I wholeheartedly agree!
 
I heard as well that there was some senseless rule about all of the buses used for evacuation having to have an armed guard aboard and that finding those people was one reason for the 3 day delay in getting the rest of the folks out.

Security is absolutely vital of course, but it can't be allowed to drive the entire response or we'd be living in a permanent police state. :okashii:
 
No exaggeration.

Elizabeth said:
The cases in NO may have been exaggerated,
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Headline in this morning's paper was from an article stating that police had shot 10 people, killing 8, who were shooting at contractors trying to repair the levee/dike.

Futhermore, what sense does it make to steal TVs when there's no electricity and no transportation to move them elsewhere??

What's sad is that 2 policemen have committed suicide because of the stress and helplessness they feel.
 
kirei_na_me said:
Desperate times call for desperate measures. You have no idea what you would do in that situation.
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A fair point. I suppose a situation like this can bring out the worst in people.

I think the gun culture in US is out of control, which doesn't help matters.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made this post. It was a knee-jerk reaction, but it just disgusted me when I heard the news.
 
Pararousia said:
Headline in this morning's paper was from an article stating that police had shot 10 people, killing 8, who were shooting at contractors trying to repair the levee/dike.
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I'm not saying there haven't been scattered reports of violence ("a few" accding to FEMA director) just that it's easy for these anecdotal accounts to be overblown. Even if 500 armed thugs took advantage of the situation to terrorize relief workers, that still accounts for less than 1% of the total population evacuated. :relief:
 
Being poor does not necessarily mean that a person will resort to criminal acts. The vast majority of poor people are law-abiding. There are some Bozos who would take advantage of situations for their own gain.

I have no beef with some people who were stuck in New Orleans who had to break into a store for food and water. They only had to do so to survive. The ones I have a beef with are those who break into a store to steal a flat-screen television. What use is that? It would make a poor raft.
 
ArmandV said:
The vast majority of poor people are law-abiding. There are some Bozos who would take advantage of situations for their own gain.
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That is too true.
I remember during aftermath of the Tsunami there were children being abducted by paedophiles and child pornographers. Sick.
 
There is a saying here in the US that "If guns are taken away from the people, only the criminals will have guns." So it is not the gun culture as the media would have you believe. The vast majority of gun owners are law abiding citizens as well as the vast majority of the poor.

The people that looted the stores and pawn shops of their weapons and other non-essential items are the same criminal element that belong to gangs, sell drugs, have no job or education, carjack, and mug people in the streets. This is the same criminal element that has done this sort of thing in all major cities of the US during times of blackouts and even when their own city won a championship in pro sports. Very sadly, it is practically a given in almost every major urban area of this country.
 
The people doing the violence there are a very small percentage of the population. It's a bad situation but it's easy to blow it out of proportion from watching tv news. I think that poverty has an influence on criminal behavior, not saying that most poor people are criminal but there are alot of pressures, and when you can't get a job, provide for your family etc. I have no problems with looters who were looting for essentials like food and water etc. in a life or death situation like that.
 
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