Katrina

Today's news has been flooded with reports that Hurricane Katrina is laying waste the southern States. The hardest hit appears to be New Orleans, and the current death toll is staggering.

It's a terrible disaster, and I hope those who are missing loved ones will find them soon, and well.

Sadly, disasters like this bring out the worst in everyone. It seems that looting is rampant in disaster areas. I can understand that victims might loot markets and pilfer food for survival, but stealing televisions, jewelry and other commodities is just not acceptable.

Even theft of food is questionable. The United States of America is the world's richest nation, and in the wake of disaster, residents loot shops to steal items they do not require to survive. Even residents of the world's poorest nations do not loot and riot markets for DVD players.

Here are a couple blog entries that I felt were worthy of mention:

Bunny McIntosh writes her feelings on the looting here.

Tony Pierce discovers racism with respect to the looting, and further defends his position here.

If I were unfortunate enough to be caught in such a natural disaster, rest assured, I would be seeking means of survival, rather than riches.