The Scoop: One giant step back for mankind
I consider myself an optimist rather than a pessimist. I choose to believe people are filled with kindness more than they are with hatred.
I think the powers of good will eventually prevail over the forces of evil, and that Batman will always triumph in a fight against The Joker.
But when I hear reports from the disaster scene left by Hurricane Katrina, I can’t help but wonder if this is the right philosophy. I say that because of the widespread looting — the absolute chaos and lawlessness — that has broken loose in the flooded streets of New Orleans.
Some looters have been so bold as to try on stolen clothes in front of police officers. People have stolen forklifts to ramrod their way into stores to get jeans, guns and beer. Other looters grabbed electronics, an irony for a city without power.
One looter shot another. There have been carjackings and gunfire. A police officer suffered a bullet wound to the head.
On Wednesday, individual looters formed gangs and went around taking money from people by force. Rescue workers, trying desperately to search for survivors, had their boats overtaken by looters and their valuables and communication equipment stolen.
To put it as plainly as possible, it’s a dark day for humanity. Usually disasters bring out the best in people, a sense of unity where total strangers join together to try and overcome the catastrophe.
However, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has brought out the absolute worst. With people clinging to life in attics and on rooftops, rescue workers are being attacked for petty cash.
It’s a travesty officers and military personnel are being summoned to the area not to search for survivors but to regain some semblance of control. Every ounce of manpower should be devoted to saving lives, but rampant criminal activity has now made that priority No. 2.
With the whole world watching, this is an embarrassment. In a time of complete desperation, Americans are trampling compassion and acting like barbarians. Our people are valuing a pair of sneakers over human life. It’s the worst behavior imaginable.
Then there’s the line of questioning directed at Gary Loveman, the CEO of Harrah’s, which has several gambling casinos in the disaster area. To be fair, Loveman has his priorities straight and he stressed the need to help storm victims in any way possible. He even said Harrah’s will continue to pay its employees for at least 90 days, even though its casinos are in ruins and no one is working.
But faced with fulfilling the basic human needs of food, water and shelter, people instead wanted to know when the casinos might reopen. Loveman indicated makeshift casinos would be slapped together and opened as soon as possible. After the temporary casinos are up and running, Harrah’s will concentrate on rebuilding extravagant facilities to replace the ones that were destroyed.
Whew, if that’s not a sigh of relief. Here I was worried about dead bodies floating in the streets of New Orleans and the thousands upon thousands of homeless people. It seems my primary concern should be how soon blackjack tables will reopen so gambling can resume.
I say all this with no disrespect to the many heroes who will emerge from this disaster, the volunteers who work 16-hour shifts and risk their own lives to save others. Believe it or not, those people are out there, but unfortunately they’re not the lasting image from Hurricane Katrina.
In this day when mankind has engineered so many technological advances, it’s sickening to see human beings who would rather kick someone in the face than lift them off the ground. It makes me wonder with all our great many gizmos and gadgets, how far has our society really come?
James Clark is editor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191.