Looting has turned both the flooded and the unflooded streets of New Orleans into states of lawlessness. There are even reports of New Orleans Police driving looters out of stores and then piling merchandise into their own vehicles. Police have also been reported to have broken into car dealers and driven off with SUVs, supposedly commandeered for their "police work."
In some precincts 30-40% of officers have reportedly "quit" and simply stopped doing their job at all, leaving the isolated and besieged citizenry to fend for themselves.
What is it that drives men and women to act in such a way? Sin? Of course. But the nature of that "sin" is complex and convoluted.
If I was protecting my family under the circumstances we are seeing in New Orleans, and if my family was going hungry, I would "loot." Of course I would.
I would justify this as follows: Normally I would go down to the store to buy what I need. Today, there is no one there in the store to take my money. I will take what I need, keep track of it and try to pay the owner back later.
Well, that's probably what I would do. Is this really stealing? Technically and legally, yes. Morally? I'm not sure. Jesus' disciples plucked wheat from a field and ate it. This was done on the Sabbath, which got him a lot of criticism for having allowed his disciples to "thresh" wheat on the day of rest. I doubt, however, that Jesus owned the field from which he took the wheat. Was this stealing? Did Jesus sin?
Even David took the shew bread from the presence of the Lord when he was hungry. Was this sin? Or was it morally right to use available food to satisfy hunger that cannot be satisfied in any other way?
Is it morally right for someone to hoard food...far more than they need for themselves...while others are starving nearby? Do those who are starving have a moral "right" to force their way into the person's home and take that food in order to survive?
Article comments
1 - venkat
i wonder why one needs to look at what jesus or his followers did to see whats the sensible thing to do!
2 - nugget
I wonder why venkat is a moron and only extracted an anti-christian sentiment out of the post after a pretty good effort by BoP?
3 - Markus
Here we have clearly stepped over the line between "needing" and "wanting."
You hit it on the nail. Has their education and upbringing brought on stupidity and/or survival?
I would "loot" if I needed water and food, and maybe something fresh to wear. But the lady carring a vacuum is ignorant in our eyes, but in hers maybe she thinks that she will be able to clean her house when she gets back to it.
What these people need to learn is common sense and morals. And I'm sure they will be smarter after all of this. It just sucks that they have to learn it this way.
4 - Liz
Why are you focusing on the looting, instead of the fact that people are dying because the government didn't properly prepare? People went to the convention center as told, yet there is no aid there. A reporter said he saw a few babies die right in front of him due to dehydration.
That's a much bigger and more important story than looting.
5 - Boss Tweed
I agree wholeheartedly with this post. However, I would like to add that shoes might be considered a necessity given the circumstances. I saw a photo of a guy wearing makeshift shoes made of rubber bands and cardboard boxes. Those may work temporarily, but for people without shoes, it would be easy to cut your feet by stepping on something underwater. At that point, you'd have an open wound exposed to extremely unsanitary water, ensuring an infection which would, in turn, strain medical resources. Not to mention, it could kill you.
I also want to believe (though I don't know whether or not it's true) that a majority of store owners would give away necessities. A case in point: Walmart is setting up stores in Louisiana and Mississippi where it is giving away water, food, diapers, toothbrushes, etc, for free.
On the other hand, stealing a television or a computer makes no sense. They're heavy and need to be carried through the water. Of course they won't be allowed on any buses evacuating refugees -- they're not even allowing pets. So what is the point? I think it's greed beyond rationality.
One thing you didn't mention is that looters have also been reported to be stealing weapons. That can't be helping things.
I don't understand why someone would shoot at a rescue helicopter, or overturn a boat, or snipe at people in a hospital. I can't fathom it.
One other note: As a non-Christian, I found the Christian references your post compassionate and thoughtful. It contrasts starkly with much of the anger and judgement I have heard from Christians in the last few years, and that gives me hope.
6 - MOMS
Let me explain why looting has been disastrous for New Orleans.
1. LOOTING IN BROAD DAYLIGHT ENCOURAGES DEVIANT BEHAVIOR. Witnesses think they can get away with it too. They might regret not grabbing a piece of the pie. Breaking this moral code means looters will re-evaluate sticking to other moral codes. (See rape #4)
2. LOOTING DRAWS GUN TOTING STORE OWNERS. This means deadly encounters. Citizens carrying guns spur fear versus police carrying guns.
3. POLICE ARE CALLED OFF OF RESCUE DUTY TO PROTECT STORES AND PREVENT VIOLENCE. People trapped in homes are not found in time.
4. LOOTERS STEAL GUNS. Reports of armed men shooting police officers, rescue helicopters, committing carjackings, and raping women have surfaced. Looters with guns means less helicopter and police rescue operation. Women are targeted as they attempt to evacuate by foot or wait for buses.
5. LOOTING DESTROYS ONE'S SELF-CONCEPT. There is a stigma attached to it (especially if captured looting on TV). Even though it is necessary when supplies are gone, one might lie about it. Lying affects the self-concept. If one takes more than necessities, the mind may obsess about this deviance.
6. PEOPLE RIDE OUT STORMS TO LOOT. A minority of looters had an intention of looting prior to the storm. Why? As long as looting becomes an acceptable behavior during storms, people will seek the opportunity. If officers prevent it right away, people are more likely to give up and evacuate next time.
Of course, I think evacuees should take food from stores if they're starving. They were forced into this position by a dismal relief effort. However, chaos will always erupt from looting.
7 - John Bill
Hell, if I was there, I would be looting too. It is easy to say what you would do safe and dry in your home. Most of us will never know personally of such horrific circumstances.
8 - Kidwalker
Looting, Looting, Looting. That's what we've heard for about a week. And yes, some people took things that were not needed. Basically this society sees what it wants to see, how it wants to see it.
I too would take food, water, clothing or shoes, if it meant that my family and I would survive through this turmoil.
In the end, God gets the final judgment call. Society always has those who do right and those who do wrong. The Bible tells us to let the wheat grow with the tares and in the end, God will seperate them and judge accordingly.
9 - Genieve
I think the looters were wrong to take what they did. They used the hurricane as an excuse to get things they normally could not get. The only people I would excuse from looting were the ones with children to feed all others were greedy
10 - Clarence
In the news I have heard that the african american population has said that they are the ones who are being discriminated against. HOGWASH they are using this tragedy to get sympathy from others. Here we go again a group of citizens using the race card to get things for free. I don't mind donating a few bucks for the people who have lost everything. What I do mind is the government shelling out alot of money to help foreign countries when they should be shelling out those billions they send to other countries to the citizens of the United States first. Why must we always help other countries? Those countries do not even send the United States an 1/8th of what we send them. One country only sent a 100,000, while we have sent them millions. The United States needs to let our president and other government entities that we do not agree with them sending foreign countries our money.