[JC]

Originally Posted by sperry

So JC, you're telling me you'd gladly sit around in squalor, with people dying due to a lack of help because those that are supposed to be helping you told you to? You're going to let children get raped because you don't want to look like some "security guard".

I'm fully aware there are tens of thousands of people there, and the trouble makers are by far the minority. Which is why I ask how are they getting away with rape!? You'd think if there are 20,000 people, and 100 rapists, there's gotta be atleast enough good people there that are strong enough to stop the crime, right? But apparently it's far more productive to sit and chant "we want help" instead.

I think if I were in that situation I don't think the possibility that people where getting raped would even enter my mind. If I saw it happening of course I would do something, but that chances of that are miniscule. Sitting in the scorching heat while you are dehydrated I assure you the last thing you are going to do is get up and walk around looking for people to save. Not to mention all the people dying around me and children with no parents who need to be taken care of. I guess I should leave them to patrol the area looking for criminals to punish.

Despite your sarcasm ya it probably is more productive to sit around and chant. At least that will give you a chance of getting people there that can actually help. Forming a mob and going around kicking the crap out of people is going to make things worse. What you should be focusing on is getting the government to do their jobs to save the dying people because that's really the only way the situation could be resolved.

Originally Posted by sperry

And my plan to get out of the city isn't the one for those 20,000 people at the superdome. That's what I would have done instead of going to the useless evacuation point. I'd grab my family and get outta town anyway I could.

And you'd be dead and would have killed your family in the process. If you actually think you could walk (with kids!) through waist deep (if you are lucky) swamp water for miles in the dibilating heat with no food or water, well you have no idea what you are talking about or you are superman and computer programmer is just your cover.

Originally Posted by sperry

It may sound like a contradiction, but it's actually not. In a better world, all those people at the superdome would be doing more to make their situation better. In reality, they're not. At least, that's what's being portrayed on CNN. Since no one there seems to want to take charge, since no one there seems to want to work together, fuck 'em... I'm out. There aren't enough people willing to try in the crowd for my help to make a difference. Why should I risk my life and my families to stay amongst them? I wasn't arguing that I would be some vigilante saviour superhero, I'm arguing that this crowd of people isn't willing to stand up for itself. It can't be all invalids and children peppered with murderes and rapists? There should be a large contingency of useful, able people... yet that's not what seems to be the case. Where are the heros? When flight 93 was hijacked, people fought back... where are the people like that in New Orleans? Did they all make it to higher ground?

The bottom line is this: the cavalry didn't come through in a timely manner, and the people left behind are incapable of helping themselves. In that situation, I at least try to save myself and my family.

Maybe they all felt like you and said screw it ya'll are on your own. How's the saying go? All it takes for evil to triumph is for good to do nothing? You expect them to save each other, yet you yourself would just leave. You'd leave screaming starving children with no parents, people dying from heat exhaust, and women getting raped because someone else wasn't stronger than you and stood up for them first? Crowds can't stand up for themselves people have to. Just because no one stood up to be a leader (as far as we know, someone certainly could have) they all aren't worthy of your great self's assistance? I wanna know how you propose policing over 30,000 people when you have no weapons or communication equipment let alone personnel. The best you could do is rely on individuals to do the right thing when they get the chance.

Originally Posted by sperry

You seem to think those people were doing all that they could by sitting around chanting for help, letting rapes and murders occur in the crowd. How about this, how much less could they be doing to survive?

They could remain silent and die. Apparently that would please you more.

Originally Posted by sperry

Of course, I could be totally off base. All I know about this situation is what the media portrays. I have no real base to make my judgement on. I do know that the stories I've heard from this tragedy are chilling... you didn't hear anything like this in the CA earthquakes, or during the 9/11 coverage. There was no widespread anarchy after the multitudes of Florida hurricanes.

Of course we all only know what we hear on the news. None of those other events had near the scale of this.

Originally Posted by sperry

What's different about the people in this disaster that has allowed this situation to degrade so poorly? Is it because most of the people there are poor and/or uneducated? Are they just stupid? Perhaps that's the problem, the people that stayed are too stupid to leave, which also makes them too stupid to try to survive. I wonder how they survived before the hurricane.</sarcasm>

Too stupid to leave? Where did you want them to go and how would they get there? They trusted the government to do their job and take care of it's citizens. How is that their fault? All they are trying to do is survive long enough to rebuild a life that has been completely destroyed. Now not only do they have to fight dehydration, heat, starvation, disease, and criminals but holier than thou assholes like you who insult them and kick them when they are down. You wonder where all the heros are? Maybe they are telling all the dying children they are too stupid to survive. You must be proud of yourself Scott.