I think that reactions to the looting in New Orleans may say more about people than the actual looting does. If I were scared, thirsty, hungry, and tired, I don’t know what the hell I’d do. If I had a child, sick or injured loved one, or elderly parent who was scared, thirsty, hungry, and tired, I’d probably be capable of pretty much anything.
Would I steal a loaf of bread? Absolutely. Would I steal a TV? If I thought I could trade it for a loaf of bread, probably (except I couldn’t carry it, but that’s not the point). I might steal a gun to protect myself and those I care about (but I wouldn’t shoot a man just to watch him die).
And forgive me if you would not, but I think THAT NEARLY EVERYONE would do what they have to do to survive, especially under such circumstances, when no one in authority seems to have any information that can offer hope or promise of an endpoint. If, that is, someone in authority could actually be found in all that chaos.
SO… Seeing what the media chooses to show over and over… Reading what people have to say about it online, has been sadly enlightening. Some people really lack an empathy gene: that is, the ability to actually feel what those residents are feeling and therefore not rush to judgment. Only the absence of a mighty strong wind stands between any of us and a shopping cart with what’s left of our lives.
Mary T has managed to find two pictures that say a little more than we might be comfortable knowing about ourselves. Apparently, looting and finding falls along color lines. Whoever at Yahoo is responsible for these captions should be ashamed.
