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August 30, 2005

Loot Shoot First

Maybe I'm just insensitive, but if the cops see someone looting something other than food and drink, the necessities of life in a disaster, just go ahead and plug'em. Bang bang bang.

If the disaster didn't clean up the gene pool, maybe we can pick up the slack for it.

For every story of heroism and valor that shows us just how noble we humans can be, there's some worthless piece of human poop who thinks he's going to be airlifted out of New Orleans with that 27" television he just stole.

Some of those assholes might even be cops:

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.”

What, if you can't beat them, join them?

Speaking of assholes, how about Mike Franklin?

Looters filled industrial-sized garbage cans with clothing and jewelry and floated them down the street on bits of plywood and insulation as National Guard lumbered by.

Mike Franklin stood on the trolley tracks and watched the spectacle unfold.

"To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society," he said.

Oppressed? I'm sorry, is slavery still legal in New Orleans? I'm sorry, does being poor entitle you to take the property of others? It's all whitey's fault! Right, Mike?

Can someone maybe shoot Mike too? You know, if he's white, if he's Da Man, then he's just as guilty as the rest of us. If they kill him, to be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society.

Update: Chris Clarke, self-appointed champion of those who see themselves as oppressed despite reality, says in the comments:

Funny thing: I'm a hell of a lot more disgusted by this post than I am by 99 percent of the looters.

What's the other 1%, Chris? The looters that shot the cop? So it's ok to take non-essential items so long as you don't try to kill a cop?

Please make a note that my comments apply to those who are not simply trying to survive but to those who are taking advantage of the situation, the sickening opportunists whose ethics washed away with the waters of Ponchartrain.

Unlike Mike Franklin - and Chris Clarke - I'm not willing to make excuses for them.

People need bread and fruits and Twinkies and soda and water to survive until help arrives. They don't need CD players, designer jeans, and laptop computers (unless the Professor is out there building one that runs on coconuts and pedal-power).

I don't care if they are black, white, purple, or whatever; put a band-aid on your bleeding heart long enough to call the opportunists what they are: thieves.

A note to Chris Clarke's neighbors: should disaster ever break out, be sure to guard your house closely, as Chris might stop by and take your DVD collection. Hey, it's not like you're going to need it or anything.

Update 2: Will Collier, over at Vodkapundit, seems to agree with my sentiments.