A Perfect Storm of Lawlessness

[CalHunter]

I had somebody email this article to me and I have to agree with a lot of its' points. I've posted the link and first few paragraphs of the article below.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/eon_09_01_05ng.html

Nicole Gelinas.
A Perfect Storm of Lawlessness

New Orleans' vicious looters aren't the real face of the city's poor--their victims are.

1 September 2005


New Orleans hasn't even been disarmed yet, but the story of those who looted, trashed, and terrorized the city this week is already being re-written. Al Sharpton went on MSNBC Thursday night to say that looters are people who pay their taxes whose infrastructure caved in on them. The final PC version of the story is likely to go like this: The desperate people left behind in New Orleans, nearly all black, had justification in brutally attacking their city because the help they frantically sought didn't come.

In truth, the looters, rapists, and murderers who have terrorized New Orleans since Monday began their post-Katrina reign of terror a full day before the situation grew truly desperate"”and it was their increasingly lawless behavior that kept willing but unarmed professional and volunteer rescue workers away from the city and from the poor people who needed saving.

Let"™s go back to last Sunday morning"”such a long time ago, it now seems. Most New Orleanians with means"”the most resourceful poor, the middle class, and the affluent"”left the city of nearly half-a-million residents that day, 24 hours before Katrina hit. They took planes, they drove, they hitchhiked, and some walked. Save for the home and business owners who valued their property more than their lives, most of the 100,000 or so who stayed behind were those not only poor in financial resources but in human capital as well.

Some who stayed behind are the New Orleanians who depend on the government on a good day"”impoverished women, children, and elderly folks who went to the Superdome and to the Convention Center Sunday, expecting their government to take care of them. And those were the smart ones"”those who moved rationally and proactively, despite a lack of transportation out of the city and a lack of government co-ordination, to secure their own physical safety. Thousands of others who stayed in their low-lying homes in the 9th Ward (which predictably flooded, as it flooded 40 years ago during Hurricane Betsy) drowned or now find themselves trapped"”starved and dying of dehydration.

And the others who stayed behind, unfortunately, are those who terrorize New Orleans on a low-grade level on a good day"”and have now taken over the stricken city. What"™s happened is the predictable civil deterioration of a city whose fragile civil infrastructure can"™t control or contain its core criminal class in peacetime.

[Knightia]

Al Sharpton went on MSNBC Thursday night to say that looters are people who pay their taxes whose infrastructure caved in on them. The final PC version of the story is likely to go like this: The desperate people left behind in New Orleans, nearly all black, had justification in brutally attacking their city because the help they frantically sought didn't come.

Sounds like the riots i have seem-ppl making justafacations for(including the media).And Leaders& others saying -this/our racism & lawlessness is justafiable. I have seen it said by the black caucus in broad daylight & plain words on the steps of our capital. If you dont give us the programs& moneys we feel that you "owe' us& we demand now -we will plunder& murder& burn down this countryscitys- if you dont&it will be a long hot summer for all& your falt. When they can see there senators& congresspersons do that(act like blackmailing thugs& its excepted)- why wouldnt they take the que from these leaders & feel jusafied& it a course of action that will work(again).


All Justpart of the cost of doing business as is normal right Al.
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Congrats on the promotion Cal.
(u brown noser you? j/k

[Champlain Islander]

Cal, the articlepretty much has it right. I agree with most of it and as time goes on more people will see it that way. The interesting part of this whole mess is how close many people are to losing their sense of civility and going over the line. You could see the early looters were taking food and baby supplies as a form of survival. I did see some people who said they left their names and items taken for the future true up if it ever comes.Then it progressed to the really bad people who started to feel that there weren't any laws and they could do as they pleased. Then all hell broke loose and it seemed like everyone got into the feeding frenzy. All Sharpton wants is to turn it into a racist thing and that is the way he always goes. I don't pay much attention to him because it is like he is always crying wolf. I don't see much of this stuff up here where I live but this has started me to worry. Without law, the speed that anarchy can take effect is staggering. I am a hunter and a fisherman and all my weapons are rifles and shotguns and I have a bunch. Probably time to get some personal protection and training for both myself and my wife.