<p>I once had a dream that I looted from the Betsy Johnson store on 60th street. It was awesome. In real life though, I don’t think I’d have the guts to do it. I’d probably want to, but I’d be too chicken. :)</p>
<p>I would definitely loot essential goods such as food and proper clothing. </p>
<p>I find it sort of funny that in recent news articles and pictures online, the word “loot” accompanies pictures of black people taking goods, but the word “find” accompanies pictures of white people taking goods. Someone had pointed this out to me the other day. I just hope the media doesn’t resolve to turning the looting problem into a race problem.</p>
<p>i know what you mean. i was watching the news about looting and EVERY image was of black people doing it. i’m wondering where the hell the white people are. i don’t think it only flooded in black neighborhoods, right? i don’t know, but it looked bad.</p>
<p>and every rescue interview or “i lost everything” interview is with white people…interesting.</p>
<p>I’d steal everything I could lay my hands on…</p>
<p>haha. at least you’re honest.</p>
<p>I was watching MSNBC, They has 2 cops looting a wallmart.</p>
<p>Interesting note related to the looting: <a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050830/photos_ts_afp/050830071810_shxwaoma_photo1[/url]”>http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050830/photos_ts_afp/050830071810_shxwaoma_photo1</a>
<a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050830/480/ladm10208301530[/url]”>http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050830/480/ladm10208301530</a></p>
<p>Take these however you might.</p>
<p>I must admit, I wonder if the word choice was a conscious decision, or whether it’s a “coincidence”…</p>
<p>As to the OP’s question, I think I’d take the necessities for me and my family to live, but that’s it.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that those two picture stories are from two different sources. Still, they do make you wonder…</p>
<p>Also, I saw this posted elsewhere. “If the police catch you looting high-priced electronics, just say your family are robots and you need these to feed them.”</p>
<p>If there weren’t any stores around, or I didn’t know my way around, and there was a house right in front of me… I would definitely take food.</p>
<p>If I didn’t know where the next supermarket was, I’m not going to risk starving to death, when I could easily take a loaf of bread from some guy’s house. Besides, chances are, that food is only going to go to waste anyway.</p>
<p>As for clothes, I would take what I needed to stay warm, even if it was from another’s home. Chances are, the clothes will get so damaged that the owner will throw it away anyway. I wouldn’t take jewelry or any fur coats, but a winter coat maybe, boots, a few pairs of socks, cozy pants, etc.</p>
<p>Electronics. I may take a Gameboy or something, just to keep me busy. Definitely not a big-screen TV. I may take a regular TV or radio though (to listen to the news).</p>
<p>Theirs a difference between food, water and stuff like that.</p>
<p>But Big screen Tv’s and a Pool table.</p>
<p>Is just insane.</p>
<p>yes i saw a Black guy and his 2 sons, pullking a bIg screen Tv on the News. what they were going to do with it I have no idea.</p>
<p>i saw the cops at walmart too. i saw one tell the people outside the store “do what you gotta do” meaning that he wasn’t stopping anyone from looting. honestly, i can understand that. i mean, it’s not like big companies can’t afford to lose a couple thousand bucks in merchandise, especially under the circumstances cuased by Katrina. that sill doensn’t condone looting, but it gives a damn good excuse for it.</p>
<p>I think to judge a situation like this, you really need to displace it outside of normal circumstances, especially because these are not normal circumstances. </p>
<p>If you’re talking about TVs, electronics, etc. (non-essentials), then there is virtually no situation that would condone looting.</p>
<p>But of course, for food/water/clothing (essentials), this is the perfect situation where ‘looting’ should not only be condoned but encouraged (but controlled).</p>
<p>that sill doensn’t condone looting, but it gives a damn good excuse for it.</p>
<p>I’m sorry but no it doesn’t. I can certainly understand taking food and such to survive, but to just loot other things for personal financial gain… is just wrong. So what you’re saying is that since you’re in the middle of a disaster, it’s totally cool to throw morality out the window.</p>
<p>Icarus, do you mean ‘looting’ essentials or non-essentials?</p>
<p>If these people are starving, they need to eat.</p>
<p>I don’t want to starve to death for the sake of being moral.</p>
<p>We probably shouldn’t bring morality into the question, that’s a whole other debate in its own right. But here we see moral relativism in action: if one were starving and have no other source of food, then looting a store for food has a different moral value than if one were to do the same in a less dire situation.</p>
<p>Icarus I think you confused what Coqui and many others are saying.
Mostly everyone is in agreement that stealing items such as car stereos and plasma TV’s is not acceptable.
Coqui and most others are saying that taking food, water, and other necessary items to survive can be excused facing a situation like Katrina.</p>
<p>Actually that is not what moral relativism is, and this is indeed a question of morality. (Moral relativism and subjectivism - two different ideas - are both completely implausible ideas)
And no, as I pointed out, taking items essential to your survival is not in question here. But if you are going to go around taking laptop computers and whatever else you can get your hands on, there is a moral issue with that, and the fact that there is a natural disaster going on that makes it so you won’t get caught doesn’t relieve you of moral culpability.</p>
<p>ah - yeah i guess i did misread coqui’s post, so I’m sorry for that. It sounded to me like you were justifying looting of any items.</p>
<p>Isn’t it true that the National Guard, if deployed to stop looters during a disaster, have the right and power to shoot looters on sight?</p>