Reply #99: You lose [View All]

[ovidsen]

I've been reading this thread with amusement, and Northern Spy, you definitely came out on the short end.

1. Floodwaters are NOT rising. They haven't been rising since early this morning. Therefore, any merchandise above the waterline is perfectly salvageable. By stealing these goods (and that's what it is, stealing, unless it's food or water) thieves are robbing merchants, many of them small business owners, of their livelihoods. Sure, the merchants probably have insurance, but what's the deductible, hmm? Sorry, stealing perfectly salvageable laptops and plasma TVs is a no brainer. It's wrong. And given these facts, the excuse that "It's gonna get wrecked anyway" is the LAMEST of lame excuses.

2. Just because they couldn't (or wouldn't!) leave the city is no excuse to steal. That's childish. It ranks down there with "you winked at my girl so I'm gonna key your neighbor's car". Your cause (stranded) and effect (larceny) do not compute. It's an absolute crime that people in New Orleans were left to their own wits as the storm approached, and are now desperately hungry and thirsty, and I hope Chimp and Co. pay dearly, but that's no excuse for stealing computers, shoes, jewelry, guns, and TVs. Where did you hide your morals and ethics?

So there.