Rescuers Fired Upon. What Should Be The Response?

[lord of the mark]

so whos going to be on the Hurricane Katrina Commision?

[Bkeela]

One of the things that impressed me about the 11th September attack was the way that New Yorkers pulled together.

My impression from the media coverage of this disaster is that the population is turning on each other instead of helping. Shooting down rescue helicopters, mass looting, rape of minors - it can't get much worse.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
so whos going to be on the Hurricane Katrina Commision?

There have to be some parts of the Bush Family Tree not currently being manured by government.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Bkeela
One of the things that impressed me about the 11th September attack was the way that New Yorkers pulled together.

well... 9-11 cannot compare with this at all...

a few buildings destroyed cannot compare with an entire region devastated...

in NY, people could still go home... most people still had food, water, electricity... they still had jobs to go to...

an entire city is, for all intents and purposes, destroyed..

people have nothing but the clothes on their backs

they have no food, no water...

there's no law enforcement presence...

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Frankychan


That's what I'M wondering. I though Ogie Oglethorpe was in N.O.....but I doubt it.

Nope Hotlanta. I miss NO but couldn't live there on a permanent basis as I would weigh 400 pounds and be a chronic alcoholic if I did. Good times!! Here's hoping the French Quarter is salvageable.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Bkeela
One of the things that impressed me about the 11th September attack was the way that New Yorkers pulled together.

My impression from the media coverage of this disaster is that the population is turning on each other instead of helping. Shooting down rescue helicopters, mass looting, rape of minors - it can't get much worse.

the more "together" sections of the population evacuated before the storm, for the most part. Of those left, theyve been exposed to conditions that are severely demoralizing and disorienting. Even so, I think the violence has been done by a minority of those left in NO.

[Ninot]

I dont know what thread to post this, so i'll just post it here.

I was watching CNN this morning, and Miles O'Brien was showing pictures of all the devastation and people in the streets, and describing some of the stories about the hoodlums firing weapons. Generally describing the anarchy of it all.

And everytime he was just about done describing it, he would say something along the lines of

"It's almost impossible to believe that we're looking at a part of the United States".



I think this is such an ignorant mentality. I find it revolting that a country might be so high on itself that it thinks this stuff can't happen on its own land. And the sad thing is, I know that if other major american cities were in the same position, it would be just as bad.

Like the mayor of NO pointed out, theres just alot of people with big problems in his city (drug problems) who are desperate for a fix, and are going nuts. Its an understandable (if revolting) situation.

I was in Washington D.C. last year. The neighborhood my hotel was in had streets lined with homeless people. If a major catastrophy happened in that city, I have a feeling the same or worse would happen if order was lost.

My own city of Montreal doesn't have such a bad poverty problem, but I know very well that if we somehow lost all resemblance of law and order, there would be thousands in the streets causing mayhem, and some of these people might even be my friends.

Its beyond my comprehension to understand how a country can be so innocent minded when it has so many problems.

It was good to rant that all out. Hope its not too flamy.

If anyone feels like responding, go ahead. I dont care. I just wanna know how innocent is too innocent?

[Sava]

Ninot

I hate it when reporters say stupid stuff like that.

"it is beyond imagination" -- then you have no imagination you moron

[Donegeal]

My mom got in contact with my dad. He is managing a shelter in Boloxi (Spelling?) Mississippi. He has one of the few with running water. Appearently, during the night, some other shelter got closed down because of sanitay conditions and over 70 people arrived last night. They were not in a good mood, checking into a shelter at 2 am. There are two local cops there and they had to draw their weapons in order to maintain order. I don't know specifics about it becase we lost the signal. Glad to know he is still doing ok.

[Edan]

Originally posted by Bkeela
One of the things that impressed me about the 11th September attack was the way that New Yorkers pulled together.

My impression from the media coverage of this disaster is that the population is turning on each other instead of helping. Shooting down rescue helicopters, mass looting, rape of minors - it can't get much worse.

I think they're different scanrios - that one made people scared, this one is making people desperate without supplies for days.

But, forom what I understand, the majority of people are not looting or shooting. I heard a report that while there was a report of a rape and drug use in the convention center where 25,000 were left without supplies or police, on the whole, people hadn't turned to violence.It's the mobs of looters, whether they're caught up in mob rule, or they're drug addicts looking for narcotics, or people who want to take advantage of the situation that are the ones.

[Q Classic]

/me slaps Ogie Oglethorpe.

Calling it "Hotlanta"? WTF? That's like people from NYC calling it "The Big Apple", Chicago "Chi-town", or NOLA "The Big Easy". You've lost all your ATLian cred, poser!

[lord of the mark]

I imagine there were very few drug addicts in Manhattan south of Canal Street, and west of, oh, chinatown, on 9/11.

What if Mohammed Atta totally screws up, and the two planes crash in the South Bronx?

BTW, I remember the NYC blackout of 1977. There was plenty of looting. In my neighborhood, we didnt even realize it till we heard about it on the radio the next morning.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Patroklos
I think the government has been doing a good job. You have to remember that government facilities and infrustructure are just as mauled as the civilian. FEMA is already spending 500 million a day, and there are 7 US warships, including 3 large deck amphibs offshore.

There are over three million victims of this storm, if all but an estimated 20,000 in the center of NO are being taken care of to some degree, that is an amazing success.

you are joking right? Most of those warships just left Norfolk. Including a nuclear aircraft carrier that takes a long time to start their nuclear reactors (esp if they are in cold layup). This could have been done last saturday or sunday. It's going to take a long time to get from Norfolk to New Orleans area.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Park Avenue
I'd been asked to post this here by Ming. This is what happens when you equip a whole nation with guns. The situation just can not be managed. There's healthy distrust of government, now this has gone too far.

Guns

the guns were stolen.

[Kataphraktoi]

if the populace was armed, they could have defended against the rapers\ mobs \vandals.

There are over three million victims of this storm, if all but an estimated 20,000 in the center of NO are being taken care of to some degree, that is an amazing success.

you have to be kidding. we had days to prepare for the storm and it brought the whole area to its knees.and help,where coming,isnt nearly fast enough